It’s party time! Summer is here and we are celebrating 20 years of Citadel, founded in August 2005. Like any good party we’d like to invite our friends and family – our clients and partners – to join us and raise a glass, marking two decades of challenge and opportunities for those we work with and support. For many young people involved in our work, that’s (more than) a lifetime!
We’ve seen seismic shifts in world events, economic convulsions and a merry-go-round of politicians and political fortunes. From the last term of the New Labour government and the 2008 crash; the fixed term of the Coalition government and austerity; through the Conservative governments that brought in Brexit and saw us through the pandemic but ended without recovering from the chaos of the mini summit and cost of living crisis; and which ushered in a landslide Labour victory in 2024 buffeted by a US tariff war and heightened tensions of all out war in the Middle East, and the relentless wars in Ukraine and globally.
Despite the constancy of the UK party-system, it has been a roller coaster ride, each party taking on different and varied political shades over the years. This has seen the parties pivot and change course to dramatic effect, losing and gaining support in equal measure, often sowing the seeds of confusion and mistrust by their political manoeuvres. Shedding the New Labour legacy, moving on from One Nation Conservatives, divided across party lines on Brexit, and an apparent cult of personality of some party leaders but where larger than life characters were outlasted (indeed ousted!) by the parties they led. The fortunes of nationalist parties in the UK nations has fluctuated, and we’ve seen the steady rise in fringe parties becoming mainstream, albeit UKIP, the Brexit party and Reform are essentially the same political vehicle for a distinctive brand of personality politics and populism.
A key learning from all that we’ve achieved and the insights we’ve gained from others who we have worked with, is “do your homework”! Don’t assume all politicians are the same, they are not. Take time to see the issues through the lens of the political parties, rising above binary demands to recognise the complexities and competing demands on the government of the day. Engage politicians across party lines on shared interests and challenges to make the world a better place, and to improve life chances. Respect differences of opinion and courses of action, yet stand firm on your values and don’t give ground to the political opportunists, bigots and populists who play a different tune. Such individuals can be found in all political parties, as they are in communities and families. Some have ascended to the top of their parties, but many have been discarded or veered away from their party and political mainstream.
The constant news cycle, social media algorithms and stream of propaganda distracts, disrupts and corrupts political parties and the democracy we rely on. Holding parties to account for their policies and actions – in opposition as well as in government – is critical. Helping to shape and sustain policies over the longer term is vital for the young lives we support. Policies and parties come and go over 20 years past and future. Yet the needs of our communities and families, and the ambitions for our young people, is consistent and intergenerational.
We look back with pride and celebrate our work others in the last 20 years. We look to the future and how today’s young people will do more than survive, to thrive in 20 years time within a vibrant democracy and political parties, for connected communities and a close-knit society.
Citadel 