How to create an enabling environment for civil society in the UK

Civic space in the UK has declined dramatically in recent years as successive governments have eroded protest rights and placed stricter limits on other forms of activism and campaigning. Civil society has spoken out against the restrictions, attempting to halt and ultimately reverse them. But are there other ways to improve our civic space so that it is more open and enabling in the future? This was the question we asked ourselves and others from across civil society after the CIVICUS Monitor downgraded the UK to “obstructed” from “narrowed” in 2023, placing the country in the same category as Hungary.

This discussion paper outlines how we explored this question with others from across UK civil society over the past two years and presents the six ideas that we surfaced collectively.