At a time when Westminster is once again dominated by leadership speculation, internal manoeuvring and questions about who is up, who is down and who is out, it is worth remembering what politics should actually be for.
We were delighted to hear Wales’ new First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, speak about his intention to govern with compassion, courage and a willingness to work with others.
This matters. And it matters to all of us
At a time when politics across the UK and beyond is too often driven by fear, division and blame, it is both powerful and heartening to hear a national leader name the qualities we so urgently need more of.
But imagine if those values were not just spoken about, but built into the way politics itself is practised.
Imagine a parliament where compassion was embedded into its culture, its debates, its decision-making, its treatment of staff, its relationship with citizens and its approach to respectful disagreement.
Compassion in Politics is now actively developing a practical framework that parliaments could adopt to place compassion at the centre of their work. We’re calling it the Compassionate Parliament Program.
We already have one council in the UK, more on that soon, which has declared itself a Compassionate Council. Now we want to take the movement further, to national parliaments.
Today, we have written to the First Minister of Wales asking whether he would be open to exploring Wales becoming the world’s first formally recognised Compassionate Parliament.
If Wales were to say yes, it would become a beacon, a beacon of hope, and a model for other countries across the world to follow.
This is what political transformation could and should look like: not just kinder language, but institutions designed to reduce harm, build trust, support better decisions and serve people with the dignity that we all deserve.
We will keep you updated.
With warm wishes,
Jennifer
Compassion in Politics
P.S. If this email resonated with you, please consider chipping in to help us keep making the case for a kinder, more compassionate politics and launch our Compassionate Parliament Program. Every donation helps. Donate by clicking here.