Renewing One Nation

Renewing One Nation was a research team within Conservative Central Office run by Tim Montgomerie and launched by William Hague, 'in order to develop new ways of tackling persistent social problems.' Its homepage stated that, 'It will build relationships with volunteers, charities and faith communities who have a heart for building a more inclusive society.' It was a predecessors to the Centre for Social Justice and claimed that the Conservative Party's proposed 'tax cuts' will 'foster a compassionate society where people are rewarded for taking responsibility for themselves, their families and their communities.'

The group was an early advocate of what became known as 'The Big Society' under David Cameron. Its Renewing Civil Society document, launched by William Hague on 1 June 2001 stated:

Inviting greater voluntary sector involvement in providing public services

One-size-doesn't-fit-all. That is why Conservatives will invite the voluntary sector, faith communities and businesses to play a greater role in providing public- funded services. Involving the voluntary sector in schooling, housing and urban regeneration will create more diverse provision, better suited to the needs of Twenty-First Century Britain.

Renewing One Nation was set up by the Christian Conservative activist Tim Montgomerie. According to Chris Cook:

He met with Jonathan Sacks (now Lord Sacks), Britain’s chief rabbi, who helped line up £300,000 funding from Sir Stanley Kalms, a Tory donor. The only condition was that the organisation be non-denominational – and so Renewing One Nation was born, to run alongside the CCF. The new group largely recruited from the CCF and continued its policy work on poverty. Within the party, David Willetts, the Tories’ foremost intellectual and my former employer, became a helper despite his own agnosticism. The atheist Oliver Letwin, now the Tory head of policy, also offered support. And the Jewish Daniel Finkelstein, then head of party policy and now executive editor at The Times, backed the project, too. Of Montgomerie’s notable internal supporters, only one was Christian: David Lidington, an MP in the party’s higher echelons.