Anna Lo

This is Anna Lo, Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast South and Convener of its Environment Committee. I met her today when a delegation from her committee visited the Scottish Parliament but I had heard about her before. She was the first ethically Cantonese - Chinese elected member of any legislative body in these islands and has been a tremendous force for good in Northern Ireland.

She was also the Alliance Party candidate in the European Elections last year and I was very struck by some later coverage in which she talked about her decision to stand down from the Assembly and possibly leave Northern Ireland because of the racism she has suffered (including during that campaign) and because of what she perceives as growing racism in Northern Ireland.

She is a woman of great courage and ability who has been an inspirational public servant. Everyone in politics, wherever they are, should regret her departure and how she feels. I was lucky to be able to say that to her face to face today and then to take her picture in a singly appropriate place - that part of the entrance to the Scottish Parliament which has set into it an injunction that should be taken to heart by all politicians and indeed by all human beings, and of which she has been an exemplar.

It is set out on the flagstones in the Lorimer Scots language translation of the New Testament ( my own favourite) , but in English it says this : "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal"

It can be found at 1 Corinthians 13.