With 9 million people reporting that they are always or often lonely, as a society have we structured loneliness into our lives? Loneliness can be triggered by moments of transition that can happen to us all: the birth of a child, retirement, relationship breakdown, being a newcomer to this country, returning from serving in our armed forces, starting university, moving home, bereavement. The places where we came together – like churches, pubs and the workplace – have changed out of all recognition. Many of our connections have been turned into transactions. Rachel Reeves MP, Co-Chair of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, set out what the Commission has learned and gave her thoughts on how we can create a less lonely world. Neil O’Brien OBE MP responded, with the discussion chaired by Daily Mirror Columnist Ros Wynne-Jones.

Policy Exchange welcomed Nick Boles and Tim Montgomerie to discuss how the housing crisis should be addressed. As part of his series on how the Conservatives can recapture the initiative, Nick Boles MP – founding Director of Policy Exchange – has written on how the Government can build the number of homes needed. This timely event explored the themes identified by Nick Boles and considered whether the latest policies announced in the Budget will achieve the stated aims.