Re-building trust for the COVID decade

Public trust in national government has declined over the last year, amid a perceived mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic across the UK. Britons have instead looked to experts and local leaders for information and advice about the virus, with trust at a community level growing and the majority of communities feeling a stronger sense of cohesion.

As trust is a vital ingredient for a happy and cohesive society, restoring public confidence at all levels will be crucial to our recovery. Similarly, failure to do so risks the spread of misinformation and fake news, undermining the collective action needed to create a successful route out of lockdown. Drawing on themes from the British Academy’s COVID-19 and Society reports, we ask Christina Boswell and Emily Morrison to explore issues of trust and how we can work together to rebuild society in years to come.

The British Academy’s COVID-19 and Society reports are part of an independent review prepared for the Government Office for Science to address the question: What are the long-term societal impacts of COVID-19? The Institute for Community Studies contributed to this report, with a focus on the social implications of COVID-19 on communities.

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Chair: Professor Christina Boswell FBA, Professor of Politics and Dean of Research, University of Edinburgh

Speaker: Emily Morrison, Head of the Institute for Community Studies, The Young Foundation

This event will have live subtitles provided by StageTEXT, delivered by MyClearText.

A recording of this event will be added to our YouTube channel after the event has taken place.

ABOUT THE BRITISH ACADEMY

The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future.

From artificial intelligence to climate change, from building prosperity to improving well-being – today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, cultures and societies.

We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone.

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