The sickening flames of the riots may have burned themselves out, but the embers of hatred, frustration, and alienation still continue to shimmer under the ashes.

Given these underlying tensions, it’s not hard to see, given the context, how something similar, worse even, might arise again – and soon.

The easy thing to do is try to move on. Easy because to do otherwise is to embrace complexity, nuance and fundamental challenges and change.

But without a comprehensive response, we risk falling into a pattern of “sticking plaster politics,” where the true causes of unrest are neglected, and we end up in a cycle doomed to repeat itself.

Our new report, After the Riots, aims to understand the causes of the disturbing unrest we lived through this summer, and how we can begin to cure them.

The roots of these riots run deep. They are not the product of any one party’s rule; the rot stretches back decades.

That’s why we’re calling for a Public Inquiry into the Causes and Cures of Political Extremism, which would have the resource to really hear the voices and views of the people and communities most affected by and open to extremism.

We are currently in the process of meeting different organisations, politicians, writers, and thinkers to formulate exactly the detail of this campaign and will take action in autumn 2024. Please get in touch if you’re interested in finding out more.