Reconciling British civil society in the wake of the Brexit referendum : what role for a National Conversation on Immigration ?

Résumé 0

In September 2018, the final report of the first ever public consultation on immigration and integration in the UK was published by two think tanks, HOPE not Hate and British Future. The first immediate objective of the consultation was to create an evidence base of public views on immigration and integration. More significantly, it was about restoring dialogue on these divisive issues in communities across the UK. The content of the conversations confirmed earlier studies on the fragmented state of British society and on the role of politicians in that respect. What emerged from the many discussions and debates was an overall, much more significant challenge the government would have to address, that of the deep mistrust Britons had towards the ability of their leaders, their political and institutional organisations to represent citizens and ensure democracy, rule the country and implement the agenda for which they had been elected. Hearing more from those ‘left-behind’ in politics and hearing on different ideas regarding immigration and integration was a central tenet of these conversations. The report on the National Conversation on immigration proposed to explore citizens’ contributions to the debates as well as the conclusions they came to in order to set a new agenda for a reconciled post-Brexit Britain.