Citizens’ Assemblies are very much seen as the new way of engaging with communities, both at a local and national level. In Waltham Forest, we have decided to break new ground by holding our first assembly on the complex issue of how to stop hate.

We want our assembly, which will be held this month through to March, to find community-sourced solutions specific to our highly diverse borough. This is a divisive issue, but if we unearth some workable local solutions the rewards for our communities will be huge.