A commission to tackle the ‘silent epidemic’ of loneliness has been launched in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox

A COMMISSION to tackle the “silent epidemic” of loneliness has been launched in memory of the murdered MP Jo Cox.

The cross-party group made up of her former colleagues will look for practical solutions to reduce the harm being inflicted on individuals, families and the wider country.

Mrs Cox had been taking the first steps towards establishing such a commission when she was shot and stabbed to death last June by far-right extremist Thomas Mair in her Batley and Spen constituency in West Yorkshire.

Her sister, Kim Leadbeater, said "Jo was a doer, not a complainer. We want to continue that legacy by ridding society of loneliness one conversation at a time."

The launch, at Westminster, will highlight findings which suggest loneliness is far more widespread and imposes a greater cost on those affected than previously acknowledged.

Research by the organisations supporting the commission found more than nine million people privately admit they are "always or often lonely".

But two thirds would never confess to having a problem in public.

And it also describes how the British instinct to "put a brave face on it" is masking a social crisis which is only getting worse.

In a joint statement, the commission's co-chairwomen, Labour MP Rachel Reeves and Conservative Seema Kennedy, called for a "national conversation" to highlight the scale of the problem.

"Loneliness is a silent epidemic across the UK," they said. "Now is the time to break that silence by starting a conversation. We need a national conversation about the scale and impact of the problem."