Our Research Streams
Free & Equal's Research Streams and Sub-streams
Our Research Streams
At Free and Equal we seek an intellectually rigorous centre-left liberal alternative to both free-market fundamentalism and top-down statism. We want a society which is open, diverse, prosperous and sustainable. Our work is divided into four overlapping streams:
Rebuilding our Democracy
Democratic Renewal
- Political Reform
- Community Empowerment
- Workplace Democracy
- Trust in Politics
- Civic Participation
For Generations Old and New
Social Justice
- Social Security
- Basic Income
- Tax Justice
- Public Services
- Entrepreneurship
- Workers’ Rights
Freedom, Tolerance and Justice
Open Society
- Civil Liberties
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights
- Racial Equality
- Immigration and Asylum
- Liberal Democracy Overseas
Leaving the Earth How We Found It
Environmental Sustainability
- Global Climate Change
- Renewable Energy
- Nature and Biodiversity
- Fair Transition
- Urban Agriculture
Democratic Renewal
Rebuilding our Democracy
Britain’s democratic system is broken. Voter apathy and resentment is deepening. The Hard Right is growing in strength. We urgently need electoral and constitutional reform which brings politics closer to people and communities.
At the heart of this research stream is a focus on empowering communities, deepening the case for voting reform, and bolstering democratic participation in the workplace.
We welcome research proposals exploring trust in politics, electoral reform, citizens’ assemblies, direct democracy, and employee participation.
Research Sub-streams
- Political Reform
- Community Empowerment
- Workplace Democracy
- Trust in Politics
- Civic Participation
Social Justice
For Generations Old and New
Britain is a wealthy post industrial country, but our society is beset by stagnant living standards, low wages and a failing meritocracy. Increasing social stratification means that what your parents do and where you went to school are significant determinants of your life-chances and health outcomes.
Poor housing, a punitive benefit system, and a weak social safety net have led to deep pockets of in-work poverty, child poverty, homelessness, and outright destitution.
At the heart of Free and Equal’s work is a commitment to the radical spread of wealth and power throughout society. No-one should be left at the mercy of adverse material circumstances.
As centre-left liberals we want to see a country where people can flourish regardless of geography, background, or class. Old social hierarchies must be broken down so that more opportunities for personal fulfillment and dignity can be expanded. We support entrepreneurship, self-employment, small businesses and the ambition to make something of oneself through fair competition and the provision of quality goods and services.
Everyone should have access to the basic material and intellectual resources they need to make the most of their lives. We welcome research proposals which explore the concept of Basic Income, social security, tax justice, public services, entrepreneurship, housing and workers’ rights.
Research Sub-streams
- Social Security
- Basic Income
- Tax Justice
- Public Services
- Entrepreneurship
- Workers’ Rights
Open Society
Freedom, Tolerance and Justice
As centre-left liberals we are committed to racial equality, multiculturalism, peaceful protest, and respect for individual rights. Over the last forty years, Britain’s civil liberties have been in a deep recession. Governments are increasingly intolerant of public protest and civic dissent. A whole raft of public order acts and anti-terrorist legislation has called basic civil rights into question.
At the same time, the UK has matured into a multi-
ethnic and multi-faith society, which has developed strong public norms against discrimination and prejudice. Britain has widened its conception of individual diversity and citizenship, while political expression of that diversity is becoming highly constrained.
At Free and Equal we are engaged in research which attempts to resolve this contradiction. We welcome proposals in the areas of racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, the political dimensions of sex and gender, asylum and immigration, alongside wider projects which seek to explore how to protect open and tolerant societies across the planet.
Research Sub-streams
- Civil Liberties
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights
- Racial Equality
- Immigration and Asylum
- Liberal Democracy Overseas
Environmental Sustainability
Leaving the Earth How We Found It
The world is in the midst of a mass-extinction event. Our carbon-based extractive civilization has been revealed as a threat to the continuity and diversity of life on earth. Thousands of populations of species have been lost in a century due to deforestation and industrial farming.
Rapid climate change poses a threat to ecosystems and the human communities which depend on them. At Free and Equal we seek to develop policies which imagines a liberal society within ecological limits.
We are particularly interested in building political consensus around visions of just transition and local engagements in climate action. We welcome research proposals on the political dimensions of protecting biodiversity, the role of urban agriculture and renewable energy.
Research Sub-streams
- Global Climate Change
- Renewable Energy
- Nature and Biodiversity
- Fair Transition
- Urban Agriculture