Britain appoints 1st "minister for loneliness" to tackle social isolation

LONDON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Britain's first-ever minister for loneliness on Wednesday after a report revealed nine million people in the country suffered from loneliness.

May set out plans by the government to tackle loneliness and combat social isolation after accepting a series of recommendations that a commission set up in honor of slain Member of Parliament (MP) Jo Cox.

Research by the commission showed that more than nine million people always or often feel lonely. Around 200,000 older people in Britain have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month, and up to 85 percent of young disabled adults between the ages of 18 and 34 years feel lonely.

May has given the job as ministerial lead on loneliness to the minister for sport and civil society, MP Tracey Crouch.

The prime minister said: "For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life. I want to confront this challenge for our society and for all of us to take action to address the loneliness endured by the elderly, by carers, by those who have lost loved ones -- people who have no one to talk to or share their thoughts and experiences with."

May said Jo Cox recognised the scale of loneliness across the country and dedicated herself to doing all she could to help those affected.

She added: "I am pleased that government can build on her legacy with a ministerial lead for loneliness who will work to shine a light on the issue and pull together all strands of government to create the first ever strategy."

Crouch said: "I am sure we can make significant progress in defeating loneliness...Loneliness can be triggered by a life event, such as a bereavement or becoming a parent, with certain groups, such as young people and carers."

Mark Robinson, from the charity Age UK, said: "Loneliness can kill. It's proven to be worse for health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day, but it can be overcome and needn't be a factor in older people's lives."

Initiatives include establishing indicators of loneliness across all ages with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) so the figures can be included in major research studies. A dedicated fund will see the government work to stimulate innovative solutions to stem loneliness across all ages, backgrounds and communities.

Jo Cox was a Labour party MP who was shot and stabbed outside her office in Yorkshire in 2016. Her killer, Thomas Mair, a man associated with far-right organizations, was later sentenced to life imprisonment. Enditem