Dear Supporter,

My name is Anya and I have recently taken on the role of Democracy Lead with the think tank Compassion in Politics, having been an ambassador for many years now. 

When I share the name of the think tank, Compassion in Politics, with anyone who asks what I am currently up to, it is generally met with an eye roll or even a throw-away comment about compassion and politics surely being mutually exclusive. But that is not true.

We have to believe and indeed be proactively engaged in making those two words not just a title, but a viable way forward in these difficult political times.

A key part of my role has been the great joy of working alongside the Jo Cox Foundation on a Civility Pledge for all prospective parliamentary candidates to sign up to pre the next general election. The Pledge itself is a very pithy statement of intention committing the candidate to act and campaign with compassion, respect and integrity and honesty. Just a few lines long I do however believe they have the power to facilitate a re-set about how we do politics, and now more than ever such a reset is needed.

With public trust of politicians at an all time low, and with voter apathy and disenfranchisement at an all time high, it is up to us all to intentionally commit to setting our house in order. Certainly, we also need to be proactively looking at how we urgently help with voter engagement, how we encourage a healthier public debate about the state of our nation and the world we all inhabit. 

But we must first model hope. Hope that politics can and indeed MUST encompass compassion. Hope that the political landscape can change and can make a difference for us all, not just a chosen few. Those few words encompassed in the pledge have potential to be part of raising that hope. As the Democracy Lead for Compassion in politics I am determined to proactively keep hoping.

Please keep an eye out for more details about the pledge which we will formally launch in July, and in the meantime if you would like to support this push to bring Compassion into policies please don’t forget to donate and consider becoming a member. 

Donate or join us and become a member.

Kind regards

Anya, 

Democracy Lead,

Compassion in Politics