Theresa May Has Appointed A Loneliness Minster
Building upon the groundwork laid by the late Jo Cox, Theresa May has appointed a minister whose job it will be to tackle the effects of loneliness on modern Britain.
Tracey Crouch, the minister for sport and civil society, will now lead a group with responsibility for policies connected to loneliness, an issue championed by the Jo Cox commission, which called for a response to an"urgent crisis" that effects 9 million people in the UK.
An early addresser of the out-of-sight effects that loneliness has on both mental and physical health, Jo Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist in her constituency in June 2016. Theresa May is to host an event in Downing Street later today, to celebrate her life and causes.
Mrs May said: "For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life.
"I want to confront this challenge for our society and for all of us to take action to address the loneliness endured by the elderly, by carers, by those who have lost loved ones, people who have no one to talk to or share their thoughts and experiences with.
"Jo Cox recognised the scale of loneliness across the country and dedicated herself to doing all she could to help those affected.
"So I am pleased that Government can build on her legacy with a ministerial lead for loneliness who will work with the Commission, businesses and charities to shine a light on the issue and pull together all strands of Government to create the first ever strategy.
"We should all do everything we can to see that, in Jo's memory, we bring an end to the acceptance of loneliness for good."
The Office for National Statistics will help devise a method for measuring loneliness, while a fund is to set up for Government and charities to help address.
Some not totally awful news for a change.
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