A new project called the National Conversation is asking the public to share their vision of community and country, as former chancellor Sajid Javid warns Britain risks 'being torn apart by our differences'. The initiative is led by the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, co-chaired by Javid and former Labour policy chief Jon Cruddas.
The commission includes figures such as 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, co-founded by Brendan Cox, the project aims to map a shared vision for the future amid a fractured political climate.
Participants are asked to complete a 10-minute survey and leave a 60-second voice note detailing their vision. The survey, designed by Oxford's Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, will use AI to analyse the language and emotional register of responses. Thousands of small group discussions will also take place across the country.
Polling from the British Red Cross found 75% of UK adults believe Britain is divided, and 72% say it has become more divided over the last five years. A report combining public insight with academic research will be published later this year. Playwright James Graham, who wrote 'Dear England', advised on the project's design.
Cruddas said: '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.' The National Conversation runs from 18 May to the end of August.
