The United Kingdom faces the risk of being 'torn apart by our differences,' warns Sajid Javid, as a new national initiative seeks to redefine British identity and rebuild social cohesion. The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, co-chaired by the former Conservative chancellor and former Labour policy chief Jon Cruddas, has launched the National Conversation project, urging the public to share their personal visions of their communities and the country as a whole.
Project Aims and Participants
The commission includes a diverse range of figures: human rights activist Sara Khan, former West Midlands mayor Andy Street, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust chair Laura Marks, former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, and Reform UK activist Tim Montgomerie. Convened by the Together Coalition, a nonprofit cohesion campaign co-founded by Brendan Cox, widower of murdered MP Jo Cox, the project aims to map a shared future amid a fractured political climate.
Key questions include what it means to be British, English, Scottish, or Welsh. The research seeks to identify what unites and divides the public, what connects people to their neighbours, and what makes the country feel like home.
Public Participation and Methodology
Javid stated, 'Our country is in real peril. Unless we can regain a shared sense of what unites us, we risk being torn apart by our differences. That vision won't come from politicians – it can only come from the public.' Participants are asked to complete a 10-minute survey and leave a 60-second voice note detailing their vision for the future. Thousands of small group discussions will also take place across the country.
Melinda Mills, professor of demography at Oxford's Nuffield College and director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, which designed the survey, noted that AI has 'revolutionised' the ability to conduct mass listening exercises. The voice notes will be analysed for 'the language people choose, the emotional register, the texture of how they actually talk about their communities.'
Urgency and Context
Polling from the British Red Cross last month found that 75% of UK adults believe Britain is divided, and 72% say the country has become more divided over the last five years. Cruddas emphasised, 'Rebuilding Britain's social fabric and sense of community has never been more urgent. But the answers to this don't lie in Westminster. They lie in communities up and down the country.'
A report combining public insight with academic research, expert testimony, and commissioner deliberation will be published later this year. Previous exercises have taken evidence on housing, education, the economy, and trust from figures including Tory peer Michael Gove, historian Mary Beard, former IFS director Paul Johnson, and former prime minister David Cameron.
Advisory and Timeline
Playwright James Graham, who wrote Dear England, advised on the project's design. He hopes it will be 'the first serious attempt' to set out a shared national vision 'in a political climate that often seeks to divide us.' The National Conversation runs from 18 May until the end of August. To take part, visit the official website.
