The claim "The speaker pays tribute to John" is directly confirmed by the speech text itself, where Keir Starmer says "I pay tribute to John." External reporting corroborates that this occurred at Prime Minister's Questions on 3 June 2026, when MP Harpreet Uppal raised the death of John Kear — a rugby league coach and broadcaster — and invited the Prime Minister to pay tribute. Starmer did so, referring to Kear as "a remarkable athlete, coach, and an energetic and enthusiastic champion of his sport" and extending condolences to his wife Dawn, family, and friends. The claim is accurate: the speaker did pay tribute to John (Kear), as confirmed by both the speech text and independent reporting. Sources: Total Rugby League — "Keir Starmer pays tribute to John Kear at Prime Minister's Questions" (https://www.totalrl.com/keir-starmer-pays-tribute-to-john-kear-at-prime-ministers-questions/)