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CSJ Britain will remain a divided nation unless the next Prime Minister reaches out to the ‘have nots’, warn two top think tanks

The ‘48:52’ Project will provide a roadmap to help the next Prime Minister heal a divided nation

Two of the country’s leading think tanks, Centre for Social Justice and Legatum Institute, have warned the next Prime Minister that Britain will remain a divided nation unless he or she can truly understand why such a large part of the country has lost faith in mainstream politics

The think tanks will come together to produce a roadmap for the next Prime Minister which is aimed at uniting the country and ensuring that all Britons have the chance to move from poverty to prosperity. 

The ‘48:52’ project, which will feature prominent authors from both organisations, including Tim Montgomerie, Philippa Stroud and James O'Shaughnessy, and will be published in advance of the new Prime Minister being appointed in early September. 

The think tanks will combine their policy expertise in promoting prosperity and alleviating poverty to provide policy solutions that will help the next government bridge the gap between people who are benefiting from a more globally connected world and those who fear for their, and their children’s, future. 

Specifically, the report will seek to:

  • Provide a quantitative and qualitative analysis of what the vote to leave the EU told us about the state of the nation; 
  • Explain the opportunities and risks facing a post Brexit Britain;
  • Produce totemic policy ideas for the next Prime Minister to help people move from poverty to prosperity.

Philippa Stroud, Executive Director of the Centre for Social Justice, commented:

“The EU referendum has exposed deep divides in our nation between old and young, urban and rural, rich and poor, north and south.

“The first task now is to learn the lessons from the Brexit vote. So we will produce an unparalleled analysis of why various sections of society voted the way they did. 

“By doing this, we can better understand the lives of those people on both sides of the Brexit divide: their financial circumstances, priorities, values, hopes and fears. 

“We know that 52 per cent of the population voted against the status quo. Many of these have not voted in elections for years, but saw this as a chance to have their voice heard. 

“This is a wake-up call for the government to act now to mend the social rifts before it is too late.”

James O'Shaughnessy, Senior Fellow of the Legatum Institute, commented:

“The Brexit vote showed that the majority of British people are unhappy with the status quo. Too many people felt that the economic benefits of being part of the EU had passed them by, and the reaction of those who voted to Remain has only underlined their lack of understanding of the hopes and fears of those who voted to Leave.

“Unless politicians and policymakers develop a genuine understanding of the lives of those who are being failed by the current system then we have no hope of building a united and prosperous society founded on wealth generation for all, social wellbeing, good governance, and civic virtue.” 

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