As the third anniversary of Brexit approaches, and still nothing is resolved, Britain is deeply divided.
That’s why today, the Mirror and the Daily Express and dozens of Reach PLC regional newspapers are launching ‘ Britain Talks ’ – a plan to bring the nation back together over a nice cup of tea.
The Mirror and Express are very different newspapers , with different readers and diverging views over Brexit and who should lead our country. We’re poles apart on a whole host of issues. So, if we can do it – so can you.
We want you to sign up to agree to meet someone with different views. All you have to do is fill in a questionnaire, and we’ll do the rest.
We will match you with someone who lives locally to you and who has different views. Then, we’re asking you to meet up – in a safe, public space – for a cup of tea or coffee, or for a walk – to chat.
(Image: Andy Stenning / Daily Mirror)
Meet ups will take place on the weekend of June 23 – the third anniversary of Brexit. What better way to remember the day our nation divided, than by coming back together?
It’s the same weekend as the Great Get Together – the weekend Britain comes together in memory of Jo Cox for street parties and picnics. This year, we are partnering with the Jo Cox Foundation to try to bring even more people together.
Our project is based on the pioneering My Country Talks set up by Zeit Online in Germany, which saw 1,000 people meet up across the country to talk about their differences and find things in common.
In the UK, when we asked people which issues are dividing us most, Brexit is the clear winner at 75%. This is followed by immigration at 41%, left-right politics at 36% and wealth at 33%.
But we know that divisions are getting starker in all kinds of other ways. Between young and old, people in towns and cities, between England and Scotland, in Northern Ireland, in the debate over the rights of transgender people, and over welfare benefits, immigration and animal rights.
(Image: TV pic)
Reduced to the shouting of short, angry tweets and the snap of instant messaging, and modelling the childish yelling of Parliament’s debating chamber – it’s as if we’re forgetting how to talk to each other. Being polarised is paralysing not just our politics, but our nation.
So, on June 23 we’re asking you to have a difficult conversation. We don’t want you to agree with the other person unless you want to. We just want you to converse – to really listen to each other. Maybe you will something in common, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll make a new friend, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll even want to tell us what happened when you met.
Whatever happens, you will have shown the courage it takes to step outside your social bubble.
Good luck.
