Dr. Shana Cohen:

I agree. I was not aware of that recommendation but it makes sense. One of the things we found in our research is that the activist base in a lot of communities is ageing and is not being replaced by younger members, particularly in areas of disadvantage but also across the board. That, in itself, is becoming a more urgent issue, to involve younger generations in their communities and in participation in some kind of democratic engagement. For most people whom we have talked to, democracy is a participatory process. It is not voting. It is something more. They want to constantly have their voice heard and they want something to happen. It does not have to be a big project. It could just be a small response, but it is to show that their voice is being heard and that somebody has responded to it because they have acknowledged that they are important. In the context of issues like housing, insufficient transport, length of commutes, cost of living and so on, people want the momentum to keep going and to feel that the authorities are doing the best they can and that they really welcome people's participation in the democratic process. That has been fundamental in all of our work, regardless of who the people are and where they live.

I completely agree with the Deputy about the importance of standing up for what you believe in and not letting the ground become slippery under people whose views you do not think are acceptable. I did not find, albeit in qualitative research involving a small sample, an inclination to share a lot of the extreme views on the right or, rather, the far right. In terms of the extremism of the positions and the manipulation of issues for political benefit, because people are facing so many pressures in their daily lives, there is a manipulation of that space by particular political figures. There is also probably some sophisticated training and financing behind it. I would not say there is a large constituency for those viewpoints based on the work we have done. I just think they are taking advantage of the moment but it is right to stand up to it.