We have brought together a strong team of commissioners from across the political spectrum and with broad experience of business, the charity sector and the public sector to investigate the state of the nation, including the long term damage caused by lockdowns. The focus will be on practical, workable solutions that can work beyond electoral cycles. It is clear Britain needs a reboot. My hope is that the Social Justice Commission will get our country moving again.
– Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP
About the Commission
Nearly twenty years on since the Centre for Social Justice was founded, the CSJ is embarking on an ambitious cross-party review of the state of social justice today: the Social Justice Commission.
The Social Justice Commission will conduct an unflinching inquiry into what life is like for those who are struggling the most in our nation in 2023.
It will examine the deeply felt scars left on the most disadvantaged individuals and families by successive lockdowns. It will uncover the hidden impact of the cost of living crisis. And it will question whether the policy initiatives designed to address poverty in our communities are fit for purpose.
The Social Justice Commission will also consider a way forward, underpinned by a belief that addressing the social rifts still afflicting the country is key to reversing sluggish rates of economic growth and reducing the strain on our public services, including the NHS.
To do so the Social Justice Commission will cast its inquiry internationally, seeking the very best examples of social justice problem solving from around the world and presenting the most compelling policies to all main political parties. It will also highlight the best interventions found here at home.
Ahead of the next General Election, there is a unique opportunity to shift the political narrative away from sticking plasters and on to solutions that will last in the long term.
The Social Justice Commission will report its findings in early 2024.
Commissioners
The Commission is comprised of leaders across the business, charity and academic spheres, as well as senior politicians across the main parties. The Social Justice Commission will also be advised by two lived experience panels, which will include the voices of young people.
The Big Listen
The Big Listen is part of the CSJ’s new Social Justice Commission. We are travelling across the UK to learn from frontline charities and other local organisations about the challenges facing the poorest in their communities and the solutions to those problems. The lessons we learn from the back streets of Britain will be central to the Social Justice Commission’s recommendations for Westminster. Big Listen events scheduled so far include:
Leeds
Thursday, 23 February 2023
Cardiff
Friday, 2 June 2023
Manchester
Tuesday, 4 July 2023
Loughborough
Thursday, 20 July 2023
Edinburgh
Tuesday, 5 September 2023
London
Tuesday, 12 September 2023
Newcastle
Wednesday, 6 December 2023
Sluggish growth of productivity and real incomes go hand in hand, and they reflect deep economic and social factors. I welcome, therefore, the Social Justice Commission’s wide remit which will examine the underlying issues holding this country back which include family breakdown and the long tail of Covid-19. The bill for welfare and health will continue to rise unless we tackle those root causes head on. This is a time for radical thinking informed by detailed analysis.
– The Lord King of Lothbury KG GBE, Former Governor of the Bank of England