New Albion: How to Rebuild a Nation

Do nations emerge organically or are they built?

In 1867, Walter Bagehot wrote that the English constitution was made by “a kind of accidental growth”. Our success as a country and of our institutions was not the design of an autocratic leader, but came out of the dynamic, everyday relationships between people bound together by a shared sense of purpose. 

However, in this era of sluggish growth and insecurity, should Britain be more proactive about rebuilding its sense of nationhood? Many successful countries – from Singapore to Switzerland – have treated nation-building as a conscious project. What might we learn from them?

New Albion will explore practical ways to harness Britain’s strengths to reignite a sense of self-belief and excitement in the future. We will explore how to strengthen state capacity and sovereign capabilities, and how new organisations, technologies and culture could better connect people in an ever more diverse society. Should business leaders and entrepreneurs see themselves as participating in a national project, and what would this mean in reality? Do we need new national myths as well as old ones? Is a refit of the nation state the right way for Britain to renew?

An inspiring combination of some of the most interesting, thoughtful and impressive people working to improve the country.

– Attendee of The Start-Up Society