Politics can often feel tribal, exhausting and designed to keep people at a distance. But what if the answer is not to shout louder, but to listen better?
In this episode of The Good Stock Tapes, we speak with Anthea Simmons — campaigner, citizen journalist, co-founder of the South Devon Primary, founder of Common Ground, and editor-in-chief of West Country Voices — about what she has learned from talking to people face to face in communities across Devon. Her work starts from a simple but powerful belief: there is more that unites us than divides us.
Anthea shares how Common Ground uses a straightforward sticker-board format to invite non-confrontational conversations about democracy, misinformation, political identity and the rise of the far right. She reflects on why so many people are still hungry for healthier democratic engagement, even when they feel disappointed by mainstream politics, and why gentle correction can be more powerful than point-scoring.
