As many as nine million of us in this country always or often feel lonely, according to a report published last month by the Jo Cox Commission. Amongst the elderly, as many as one in ten pensioners say they’ve not had regular contact or conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month. But it is not just the elderly, with four in ten of 17 to 25 year olds also feeling lonely. Following the death of MP Jo Cox, who campaigned on the issue, the Prime Minister promised to tackle loneliness. Today she announced that the Minister for Civil Society, Tracey Crouch, has been asked to produce a strategy to tackle what has become a reality of modern life for many people.

Tracey Crouch on her role as Loneliness Minister