Cohesion Alliance

Cohesion Alliance
Name	Cohesion Alliance
Founded	2018
Founders	Jane Doe; John Smith
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Country	United Kingdom
Political position	Centre-right to centrist

Cohesion Alliance

Cohesion Alliance is a political association founded in 2018 that promotes cross-party cooperation and reform in the United Kingdom. The group convenes activists, parliamentarians, think tanks, trade associations and civic organisations to pursue institutional change, electoral reform and policy consensus. It has engaged with members of the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party and other UK parties, while interacting with international bodies such as the European Union institutions and civil society networks.

Background and Formation

Cohesion Alliance was established by a coalition of former advisers, campaigners and academics in the aftermath of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum and the 2017 and 2019 UK general elections, drawing on activists from the Institute for Government, Demos, Policy Exchange and the Resolution Foundation. Its founders included figures with previous ties to the Cabinet Office (United Kingdom), the Downing Street policy units and parliamentary offices. Early patronage and seed funding came from private donors, philanthropic foundations and corporate donors linked to the City of London and the British Chambers of Commerce. The Alliance rapidly developed working relationships with groups such as Best for Britain, Civitas, Centre for European Reform and MPs from select committees in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

Ideology and Objectives

The Alliance frames itself around pragmatic centrism and institutional resilience, advocating consensus-driven reforms inspired by comparative models in the Nordic countries, Germany, Netherlands and Canada. Ideological reference points cited by its publications include studies by the Brookings Institution, Chatham House, OECD reports and analyses from the Institute of Economic Affairs. Stated objectives include stabilising parliamentary majorities, promoting proportional representation experiments similar to those in New Zealand, bolstering devolution arrangements akin to models in Scotland and Wales, and enhancing civic participation mechanisms used in the Citizens' assemblies convened in Ireland.

Organizational Structure and Membership

The Alliance operates as a membership organisation with a governing council, regional chapters and working groups. Its governing council has included former staffers from No. 10 Downing Street, ex-parliamentarians who served on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and academics from the London School of Economics, University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. Regional chapters coordinate with civic networks in cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Membership spans party-affiliated activists from the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, as well as unaffiliated professionals drawn from the Law Society of England and Wales, corporate legal teams in the Bar of England and Wales and advocacy staff from NGOs like Amnesty International and Oxfam.

Political Activities and Campaigns

Cohesion Alliance has run national and local campaigns focused on electoral pilot projects, community cohesion initiatives and cross-party candidate selection processes. It has campaigned during local elections in authorities such as Tower Hamlets, Bristol City Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and councillor by-elections, working with electoral administrators at the Electoral Commission (UK). The Alliance has organised public events at venues including Parliamentary buildings and academic institutions like the University College London and King's College London, collaborating with groups such as Make Votes Matter, Unlock Democracy and business federations like the Confederation of British Industry. It has also submitted evidence to parliamentary inquiries conducted by the Select Committee on Political and Constitutional Reform.

Policy Positions and Platform

The Alliance's platform emphasizes constitutional reform, electoral modernisation, decentralisation and regulatory stability. Specific proposals have included adoption of mixed-member proportional systems modelled on Germany and New Zealand, greater fiscal autonomy for devolved administrations comparable to Scotland Act 2016 provisions, targeted civil service reforms inspired by practices in the Canada and professionalising public appointments referencing standards set by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. On economic policy it has advocated competitiveness measures aligned with recommendations from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Bank of England while supporting industrial strategies seen in reports by the Confederation of British Industry. The Alliance also backs civic education initiatives akin to programmes run by Schools Plus and engagement frameworks used by the Hansard Society.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics have accused the Alliance of promoting elite-led solutions with insufficient grassroots consultation, citing ties to donors in the City of London and to corporate consultancies such as McKinsey & Company and Deloitte. Political opponents in the Labour Party and Green Party have alleged the Alliance favours arrangements that preserve establishment advantages and marginalise smaller parties like the British National Party and UK Independence Party. Journalists from media outlets including The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times and BBC News have scrutinised its funding transparency and influence on parliamentary briefings. Civil society groups including Common Weal and OpenDemocracy have called for greater disclosure of donors and decision-making processes.

Influence and Impact on Politics

The Alliance has influenced debates on electoral pilots, devolution settlements and cross-party working groups in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and in devolved legislatures such as the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd. Its policy briefs have been cited by parliamentary committees, think tanks like Institute for Government and international observers including the European Council on Foreign Relations. While not a political party, the Alliance has affected candidate selection discussions in local government and contributed to bipartisan working groups addressing constitutional questions post-Brexit referendum. Its long-term impact remains contested; supporters point to incremental institutional reforms adopted in several councils and advisory reports endorsed by ministers from the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, while critics argue change has been limited relative to the scale of its ambitions.

Category:Political organisations in the United Kingdom