Ordinary Hope: UCL-led coalition helps tell a story of national renewal
19 September 2024
A new publication from the UCL Policy Lab’s collaboration with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) sets out what the new government needs to do to succeed and help Britain rebuild.
Read in full Ordinary Hope: A Mission to Rebuild.
As the Prime Minister heads to Liverpool for the first post-election party conference, a new publication from the UCL Policy Lab sets out what the new government needs to do to succeed and help Britain rebuild.
The publication, edited by UCL Policy Lab Director Marc Stears is Ordinary Hope: A Mission to Rebuild.
Featured in Andrew Marr's pre-conference cover story for the New Statesman, the publication brings together a series of proposals from some of the country’s leading thinkers and policy practitioners in each area of the government’s missions. The contributions all share the belief that the British people expect the new government to offer change grounded not in the grandiose “boosterism” of the Johnson years, but in the concrete and the local concerns of everyday life.
As the lead author for the publication, Marc Stears said, “Ordinary Hope: a Mission to Rebuild sets out how the government can offer a realistic optimism for the country. None of the people in the collection shirk from the challenges that Britain faces but all believe that real change is possible and that the business of rebuilding the country can start straight away.”
Authors range from leading voices in global politics and policymaking, including Polly Curtis, Nick Romeo and Luke Tryl; internationally-renowned academics like UCL Professors Wendy Carlin and Dan Honig; and inspiring frontline practitioners such as Stefan Baskerville from Citizens UK, Emily Bolton of Our Future, Michael Little of Ratio and Nick Plumb of Power to Change.
The inspiring essays chart the path for renewal including: shifting away from old practices towards a new economy; transitioning to net zero through the power of everyday citizens; ensuring the safety of our communities based on respect, hope and connection; building a better future for and with our young people; and transforming our public healthcare in a way that works for those in and affected by the system.
Amongst the specific policies called for:
- A move away from Blair-era top-down targets towards greater devolution for public services. Academic Dan Honig explains how the best public services in the world are increasingly shaped by local government, non-governmental organisations and public servants themselves, and are not micro-managed from the centre.
- A more pro-active role for local and national government in shaping proposals for new towns. Toby Lloyd, a leading expert on housing policy, formerly of Shelter and a special advisor, compares Britain’s failure to build houses with approaches taken in European countries, including the Netherlands, where government agencies have a have much more hands-on role in planning.
- Creating a more preventative health service by prioritizing social connection and tackling loneliness. Leading thinkers on the health system, including Naomi Fulop and Fran Zanatta, explain how Wes Streeting’s plan for a more preventative health system can succeed if its tackles the social isolation and loneliness that currently exacerbates huge health challenges in the country.
- A new plan for safe and secure communities following the riots. Stefan Baskerville, from Citizens UK, sets out why the new government has to pursue a law-and-order strategy that works for the communities torn apart by this summer’s riots.
The publication builds on a previous collection of essays released earlier this year, Ordinary Hope: A New Way of Changing Our Country Together. It is the latest publication from the Ordinary Hope project, which is a joint partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), whose mission is to help Britain overcome poverty.
To find out more about the project and to get involved check out the Ordinary Hope webpage here.
Read in full Ordinary Hope: A Mission to Rebuild.