The loss of shared spaces – from pubs and parks to leisure centres and youth clubs – has undermined community cohesion and fed far-right extremism, a think tank has said.
Published one year on from the Southport riots, a new paper by IPPR found that 600 youth clubs shut between 2012 and 2016 and 50 pubs close for good every month.
The study also found that London lost nearly 10 local authority-run community spaces each year between 2018 and 2023.
IPPR argues that the loss of places where people can meet in person has resulted in the weakening of the social fabric and left communities vulnerable to far-right influence.
It found that only one in 40 Britons are now part of a social club, compared to one in 10 when Labour was in power between 1997 and 2010.
The think tank argues for a new Welfare Fund, financed by a 2% levy on online sales, or a warehouse tax on companies such as Amazon, to help revive high streets and increase the availability of public amenities.
Dr Sacha Hilhorst, author of the discussion paper, said: ‘In the absence of shared spaces, misinformation and hate can fill the void, creating tinderbox conditions for violence. Rebuilding local infrastructure isn’t just about nostalgia – it’s a vital bulwark against division and the dangerous pull of the far right.’
