Politics and The Future of the UK

In creating Anthropy, I set out to encourage leaders from across society to consider our collective national future and our country’s role in the world. For well over eighteen months, in conversation after conversation, with senior business leaders, social entrepreneurs, charity campaigners and those in other sectors, there was one consistent area of concern which centred around a general dismay of our political space. This convinced me of one critical point:

Namely, that the future of our nation is too significant to be left solely to politicians.

This is not to deny the creditable and honourable efforts of politicians of all persuasions, but

the times where we the people, could feel confident that the national direction was safely being steered from Westminster alone, has well and truly gone.? As both a business leader and a serial social campaigner, I am clear that those of us with any leadership responsibility, must now recognise that the destiny of our country requires a collective response that extends far beyond purely those in politics. There are in my view some very specific factors which need recognising but then affecting, in order to foster a brighter future for the UK.

The divisive nature of politics

I am not alone in becoming increasingly disappointed with a political climate that is marked not by desire for consensus and collectiveness, but of divisiveness and polarization; one based on point scoring rather than goal scoring. Our party politics is an adversarial political system which has led to a gridlock on progressive thinking, because party priorities will always override national priorities, the need for constructive dialogue, or a collective response to our major issues. This has created a deep sense of frustration and disillusionment among many, who are increasingly feeling disconnected from the decisions that shape their lives. This must change.

The need for collaborative and long-term thinking

Many of our pressing issues, such as climate change, our healthcare and education systems, crime, and national security, require longer-term thinking and sustained action which will inevitable go beyond any single term of government. Our society generally and politicians in particular, now seem trapped in a cycle of short-termism. The media cycle, the desire for the next sound-bite, the next election timetable, all hamper our national ability to address in a considered way, our long-standing issues. This leads to a narrow-minded approach which not only undermines our national progress, but also fails to address the interconnectedness and complexity of the challenges we face.

To secure a more equitable and prosperous future for the UK, with our social issues improved and a robust economy, requires us to move beyond such limited scope of such political and short-term thinking. By adopting a longer-term more collective view of the principles we should be working towards, we could attempt to develop policies that transcend party lines and focus on the long-term interests of our society, in a way which has simply not occurred in the past.?

Issues of National Importance and Cross-Party Collaboration

The desperate situation in our NHS, our care services, transport, education and other stretched public services, surely demands that these critical areas, require cross-party collaboration to find alternative solutions. Our inability to move beyond Brexit, as an example, highlights the necessity in addressing the deeply polarizing nature of debates, regardless of one’s own position. This and so much in the political domain illustrates the limitations of a purely partisan approach. Such thinking and rhetoric perpetuates a negative, static, accusatory attitude across the opinion divide which achieves absolutely nothing in addressing the needs of our society.

In my mind, issues cannot be effectively addressed simply through the lens of a political ideology alone. Only by fostering an authentic culture of cross-party and cross-sector collaboration, can we make any sense of the issues and ensure that the best ideas are considered, irrespective of any origin, political or otherwise. If politicians were courageous enough to think differently, to be open to such new approaches, it could enhance the quality of decision-making and promote a more inclusive and sustainable set of potential solutions.

The Power of Collective Responsibility

We can all appreciate that politicians play the crucial role in governing the nation, with the responsibility of shaping the future and determining what they consider is best for the country. But such national navigation should not be limited to their efforts alone, or simply delegated by us to them every four years or so. The collective intelligence and diverse perspectives of those leading organisations and communities across the country, should be seen as an invaluable asset, capable of being harnessed for national good. Engaging non-political leaders in the decision-making process would foster a sense of ownership and accountability, resulting in policies that could better reflect the experience and expertise in all manner of areas outside politics, as well as the needs and aspirations of the population. Perhaps the only illustration of this recently was the successful collaboration of the Government, academia and business in the development of the Covid vaccine. Let us learn from that and see how such mould breaking collaboration could help institutions such as the NHS, or our education system.

As I write this, I can sense a collective ‘sigh’, from you the reader, because I am sighing myself as to why it takes an individual initiative like Anthropy to have to convene the best, most considered and responsible of leaders to look at such issues, when surely our political masters should have been doing this and working towards this themselves. Well, perhaps sometimes such initiatives have to start at the ground level and push up into the political establishment to see such change happen. What I do know and will say again, is that the future of our wonderful, unique country is too vital to be left solely to politicians. I talk of ‘Dynamic Stewardship’ at Anthropy, in respect of us all building on the rich inheritance we have in this country but always striving to improve, across various specific agendas. The same must now be said for our democracy, our politics and the country at large.

Longer-term thinking, collective responsibility; an openness to foster cross-party collaboration, engaging sector leaders to create a more inclusive and prosperous future for the United Kingdom, must be an alternative. As we enter an inevitable year of preparation for a general election, wouldn’t it be tremendous to see these principals emerge from those wishing to secure our votes. Wouldn’t it also be tremendous to have more politicians than last year, join us at Anthropy, not just to speak, but to listen and engage. The invitation is with them all.

I hope this will be a topic for serious consideration at Anthropy23.

John O’Brien

Founder Anthropy