Dear {{recipient.first_name_or_friend}},

Welcome to your September edition of the Compassion in Politics newsletter.

📽️ We join Debbie Abrahams at the launch of Covid documentary

We were proud and honoured to join Debbie Abrahams MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Group for Compassionate Politics, at the launch of her film The Unequal Pandemic. This moving documentary charts the experiences of three families during Covid, each of whom lost a loved one. It highlights how inequality and underinvestment in public services exacerbated the devastating impact of the pandemic.

👀A sneak preview of our election campaign

We're happy to bring you, our supporters, a sneak preview of our upcoming election campaign. Like many, we are deeply concerned by the direction our democracy is taking and believe there is a need for urgent action to restore some honesty, trust, and dignity to political debate and conduct. That is why for the next election we aim to create a movement of candidates who are committed to better standards, political reform, and compassionate politics. Emma Dent Coad, previously MP for Kensington, has been the first to sign our draft code - and she shared the news today on X (Twitter). 

📖 WE: A global read

On October 11th Co-Director Jennifer will be joining Charter for Compassion for a talk on the key principles of her book, WE: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere. Jennifer will be sharing some of the insights and practices she presents in the book as well as talking about the urgent need for a compassionate politics. Register here.

✋Ideas for a new democracy

We were delighted to see that Labour MP Darren Jones has taken up and run with one of our main ideas for strengthening civic involvement in politics and countering the divisive nature of political debate. We have long advocated for the introduction of “constituency assemblies” - gatherings of constituents to discuss and debate both national and local issues. Kudos Darren for getting one going - the first of many we are sure! Get in touch if you’d like to try to set one up in your constituency. 

🧱How we rebuild the public realm

This article from North East Bylines highlights our letter - signed by over 70 economists and human rights experts - sent to Labour urging them to be more ambitious with their economic program for government. The piece argues for the urgent need to reinvest in public services, particularly those long-overlooked or abandoned.

❤️ Volunteer with us

We're always looking for new members of the Compassion in Politics team to come onboard and help us with research, writing, strategising, and lobbying. Whatever your skillset, we will try to find a place for you. Email [email protected] and let us know what you'd be interested in doing. 

Thank you so much for all your support.

Jennifer, Tom, and Matt
Directors of Compassion in Politics