British Voices tells the story of Joe Hayman's travels around the UK in the aftermath of the 2011 riots, speaking to over 1,000 members of the public about the state of British society - an approach unique amongst contemporary studies of the UK. Hayman undertook the three-month journey because he wanted the voices of ordinary citizens in Britain to be heard. Their views are reproduced faithfully and without judgment in this book and include: "It feels like the country is drifting; no one knows what to do." Pensioner, Birmingham "If the politicians and bankers aren't held accountable, the apathy extends across the whole country." Student, Bangor "When I was young, we used to go out and kick a ball but it's all PlayStations now. We had three roads, but now it's a town and you have no idea who people are." Man, Shetland Isles "It's all moving at an astonishing pace now - strangely, my teenage years were actually much more peaceful in spite of the Troubles." Woman, Belfast Tying these views together, Hayman concludes that the UK is a nation of kind, decent people but that confusion, loss and despair are all too common. British Voices is an uncompromising analyisis of the most pressing concerns of people at all levels of British society, that will appeal to those interested in politics and current affairs.

Author Biography

Joe Hayman is the founder of The Community Trust, a new charity set up to build a stronger sense of community and citizenship in the UK. He is also a Trustee of the mentoring charity Friendship Works, through which he has also been a mentor to a teenage boy for the last seven years. He is a director of the social enterprise North London Cares.