New ‘minister for loneliness’ pledges to defeat endemic problem
Tracey Crouch will tackle misery affecting nine million Brits

Theresa May has appointed Britain’s first minister for the lonely in order to help continue the work of the murdered MP Jo Cox.
Sports and Civil Society Minister Tracey Crouch has been tasked with setting out a new strategy for helping the millions of people believed to be suffering from loneliness in the UK. Couch has been asked to pull together all strands of government, including the Treasury, the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions, to tackle the problem.
The Office for National Statistics “will help to devise a method of measuring loneliness, and a fund will be set up to allow government and charities to find innovative ways to deal with it”, says The Times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Loneliness was a key issue for Cox, who was murdered by a right-wing extremist during the EU referendum campaign in 2016, says Politico’s Jack Blanchard.
Professor Jane Cummings, the chief nursing officer for England, has said that loneliness can have a “devastating impact” on mental health and can also increase the risk of premature death by a third.
A study by the Co-op and the British Red Cross found that more than nine million people in the UK “always or often” lonely, while Age UK found 200,000 older people had not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Groypers: the alt-right group pulled into the foreground
The Explainer The network is led by alt-right activist Nick Fuentes
-
10 concert tours to see this upcoming fall
The Week Recommends Concert tour season isn't over. Check out these headliners.
-
How to put student loan payments on pause
The Explainer If you are starting to worry about missing payments, deferment and forbearance can help
-
What difference will the 'historic' UK-Germany treaty make?
Today's Big Question Europe's two biggest economies sign first treaty since WWII, underscoring 'triangle alliance' with France amid growing Russian threat and US distance
-
Is the G7 still relevant?
Talking Point Donald Trump's early departure cast a shadow over this week's meeting of the world's major democracies
-
Angela Rayner: Labour's next leader?
Today's Big Question A leaked memo has sparked speculation that the deputy PM is positioning herself as the left-of-centre alternative to Keir Starmer
-
Is Starmer's plan to send migrants overseas Rwanda 2.0?
Today's Big Question Failed asylum seekers could be removed to Balkan nations under new government plans
-
Has Starmer put Britain back on the world stage?
Talking Point UK takes leading role in Europe on Ukraine and Starmer praised as credible 'bridge' with the US under Trump
-
Left on read: Labour's WhatsApp dilemma
Talking Point Andrew Gwynne has been sacked as health minister over messages posted in a Labour WhatsApp group
-
New Year's Honours: why the controversy?
Today's Big Question London Mayor Sadiq Khan and England men's football manager Gareth Southgate have both received a knighthood despite debatable records
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist