The Common Ground

A campaign to unite people around their common ground on climate action, social justice & democratic reform to build a people-powered #ProgressiveAlliance

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

📢 BIG NEWS 📢

Today we are launching our report on the common ground shared by the British public.

Our report turns the received wisdom that Britain is a conservative country on its head.

The majority of British people support bold, transformative policies.

🧵 Read more 👇

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

Hi folks! You may have noticed we've been quiet on here for a while.

We've decided to take some time away from Twitter to focus on other personal & professional matters and consider where best to focus our efforts in 2023.

Keep up the good fight and we'll see you again soon ✊

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

@getprdone @UKLabour Doubt it's the answer the Cambridge profs are looking for, but the correct answer would be "firmly on the left".

When it comes to policy alone, the British public is overwhelmingly progressive and wants real change 👇

https://t.co/GPg9u2BM1W

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

📢 BIG NEWS 📢

Today we are launching our report on the common ground shared by the British public.

Our report turns the received wisdom that Britain is a conservative country on its head.

The majority of British people support bold, transformative policies.

🧵 Read more 👇

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

@JoshFwd It's a tricky one. The word will likely alienate a lot of people from your core message, and won't convince anyone who isn't already convinced. But talking about "creeping fascism" or occasionally pointing out fascistic actions is certainly valid and useful.

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

@h_mad_murdock The source is here if you want to delve into the data:
https://t.co/HpPLfOjYcf

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

The UK is amongst the most nature-depleted nations on the planet. We've now lost half of our biodiversity.

Rewilding would restore our ecosystems and help tackle the climate crisis.

Would you be in favour of rewilding parts of the UK?https://t.co/rAFbXUEth7

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

@h_mad_murdock Polling data shows varying degrees of support for the reintroduction of predators:

Brown bears - 25%
Wolves - 36%
Wild boar - 38%
Wildcats - 46%
Beavers - 62%
Wading birds - 64%
Birds of prey - 68%

Some of these reintroductions are already happening though which is encouraging.

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

Remember during lockdown when the government effectively ended street homelessness overnight?

Homelessness is a political choice. It would be so simple to almost entirely eradicate it. But our leaders choose not to.
https://t.co/X3rxtSFMjB

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

Our own research shows we are far less divided than the media would have us believe.

We found the difference in support for progressive policies between conservatives and progressives was just 7% on average.

It's not about left or right - it's just about forwards.

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

Don't let Twitter fool you - this applies to the majority of people in the UK.

Most people do not think in terms of left and right. They just want to see progress forwards.

The outdated labels of the past hold us back. We need new language to carve out a new path to progress.

[Fesshole🧻 @fesshole]

I'm 38 and still not sure of the difference between left and right in politics, I've googled it a few times, its still unclear to me

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

Get this bookmarked! A new tool from tax expert
@arunadvaniecon shows what can be raised by various wealth taxes.

Don't let anyone tell you there isn't enough money to solve the problems we face. There's plenty of money. We just lack the political will.

https://t.co/EyLXdVQfYy

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

@Jessthelefty The world isn't binary. Whatever we may each think of Starmer's leadership, under FPTP a Labour-led government remains the *only* realistic way that progressive policies can be enacted. But it is only the first step, not the end goal. PR would change the game entirely.

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

@Borissidis89 UBI is different to a minimum wage. Every citizen would be paid the UBI regardless of whether they work or not. They would then be free (and economically liberated) to pursue meaningful work to increase their earnings.

There's more info about UBI here:
https://t.co/ggRbLkVRqu

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

@SmithTarquin UBI is not like the Chinese social credit system. It's unconditional and universal - paid to all as a right of citizenship. We already have elements of 'UBI' in the UK e.g. NHS, schools, state pension, child benefit.

This is useful for more info on UBI 👇
https://t.co/ggRbLkEOou

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

UBI is the big idea of our generation. No other single policy has the potential to deliver such transformational and wide-ranging benefits.

And with the support of 71% of progressives & 59% of all voters, its time has come.

Incredible work by all involved with @UBILabNetwork 👏

[UBI Lab Network 🌍🌎🌏 @UBILabNetwork]

Today we sent @RishiSunak a letter signed by 285 politicians, campaigners and academics calling for a Universal Basic Income to protect UK households from future crises.

📰 In today's Mirror: https://t.co/YJSJ1ArALM

✍️ Add your name: https://t.co/BWc8nvOh3y

#OurGenerationsNHS

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

Amongst all the doom and gloom, here's a good news story and a timely reminder from one of our co-founders 👇

[Charles Maiden 💙 @CharlesGMaiden]

🧵Just a reminder that there are far more good people in the world than bad... sometimes it's too easy to forget.

6 weeks ago I 'accidently' became involved with a young Ukrainian refugee family who had been living in another part of the UK for a while after fleeing the war. 1/

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

It's vital we resist the introduction of any payment mechanism into the NHS, regardless of whether we think the initial purpose has merit or not.

Otherwise we'll be on a slippery slope towards a health service that's no longer free at the point of use & truly available to all.

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

The government is planning to introduce a £10 charge for missed doctors appointments.

But let's be clear. This isn't about raising funds or reducing waiting times. It's about introducing a payment mechanism into the NHS.

#StealthPrivatisation

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

First it's a charge for missed GP appointments, but before long there are also charges for smokers for "bringing it on themselves", or sportspeople for "living high risk lifestyles", or those with worrying but ultimately benign lumps and pains for "wasting doctors time".

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

The UN: the world has failed to act on climate change and only ���root and branch” transformation of our economies can now save us from global catastrophe.

The UK: Shell doubles its already record oil and gas profits and Sunak announces he will skip the COP27 climate conference.

[The Common Ground @TheCommonGrd]

@JoshFwd Just the start of an inevitable narrowing of the polls now a "sensible" and "stable" PM is back in charge. Suspect we'll be seeing single digit leads before not too long...