The Café met in the week following the riots in Southampton and Belfast
June 2026
Our first topic for discussion was Henry Nowak – is it a storm in a teacup? referring to the murder of Henry Nowak in December 2025 in Southampton, and the clashes with police after his murderer was convicted in May 2026 and footage of the circumstances of his death became public
Discussion centred around the perceived incompetence of the police who attended the scene, who didn’t assess Henry properly, and the view that it was another example of the institutional racism of the police. Questions were raised about whether it was just another ‘summer riot’ or something more orchestrated, with the right wing media targeting the police and stirring up unrest, as well as against immigrants and minorities.
Looking back, it raised memories of riots in London, Liverpool and other cities in the 1960/70s, which were triggered in most instances by police intervention in already volatile situations. In London, racial minorities are now well represented in the police force – it seems this is not the case in other cities.
Looking further back still, it was noted that events in Southampton, as well as Stockport and Belfast, were a reminder of Mussolini’s 1920’s and 1930’s Germany and raised questions about how we can best respond in a similarly dangerous period. The current lack of solidarity across the working class was judged to be a contributing factor, together with the perception that everything was the fault of ‘foreigners’.
The role of social media in exploiting populist sentiment and allowing an instant response to local disturbances was seen to be a new element in the mix, further supported by ‘fake news’ and people’s seeming willingness to believe anything they read. Sanctions on the social media platforms/companies were recommended, including prosecutions where criminal offences such as incitement to riot could be identified: these would be more effective than prosecutions of individual members of the public alone.
A different perspective was introduced by thinking about our position of relative safety, low crime and low immigration in Salisbury – can we really understand the lived experience of those in other areas who feel frightened and overwhelmed and the ways they choose to express it? Whilst there has always been violence across society, our murder rate is actually reducing but there is still fear of perceived threat. In some areas, this may be related to the experience of long-term trauma. It may also explain the (over) reactions of the police in responding to violent situations, as those in the public services receive little support for dealing with the effect of trauma for themselves.
In concluding, it was felt that an underlying cause of violence and disturbance is a lack of trust in institutions such as the police, in public services and in the media. The key role of language in fermenting this distrust is highlighted in social media’s use of the language of the streets.
Our second topic concerned The Social Contract, introduced through a discussion of the ideas in economist Minouche Shafik’s book What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract. Longlisted for the FT Business Book of the Year Award in 2021, the synopsis described the book as follows:
The social contract shapes everything: our political institutions, legal systems and material conditions, but also the organisation of family and community, our well-being, relationships and life prospects. And yet everywhere, the social contract is failing.
Accelerating changes in technology, demography and climate will reshape our world in ways many of us have yet to grasp. In this landmark study, Minouche Shafik, director of the London School of Economics, draws on evidence from across the globe to identify the key principles every society must adopt if it is to meet the challenges of the coming century, with profound implications for gender equality, education, healthcare provision, the role of business and the future of work.
How should society pool risks, share resources and balance individual with collective responsibility? Brilliantly lucid and accessible, What We Owe Each Other offers new answers to these age-old questions and equips every reader to understand and play their part in the urgent and necessary transformation ahead.
The book examines the situation in different countries, identifying highs and lows in the various elements of the social contract in relation to children, education, the role of business and the state, etc, focusing on the requirements for an effective system of collective benefits.
Whilst we largely agreed the social contract was broken there was considerable discussion around the reasons for this, and what might be done about it. For some, the proposition sounded too much like a utopian vision which would inevitably fail; for others it appeared to be a socialist manifesto for a caring, ‘woke’ society; and for others it was important to realise that the economic weight of the individual varies throughout life and that inequalities would always determine who would and would not benefit from such a contract.
It was noted that trade-offs might successfully be made at local level, or in relatively small countries such as Denmark, but to be sustainable, wholesale structural change would be required to make a social contract a reality, which seems unlikely to happen. Subsidiarity was discussed: this is the organizing principle that social, political, and business issues should be handled at the most immediate or local level capable of resolving them effectively. A central or higher authority should only perform tasks that cannot be effectively addressed by a smaller, local entity.
One suggestion was a 30 year plan to be agreed through Citizens’ Assemblies and other democratic means, which would then be led by independent people, not politicians. Success would depend on a shared vision with maximum buy-in.
It was observed that the feudal system was an example of a very strong social contract which worked, albeit within a highly structured and rigid framework. The rise of industrialisation and capitalism effectively dissolved the relationships which underpinned these transactions.
Final thoughts on the topics included the need for a wholesale redistribution of power and money and the possibilities of using a distributive tax system to achieve this, and the current situation in the UK where the opportunities for generational change were perceived to be at an all-time low.
A number of other books treating similar themes were recommended:
Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveller’s Guide to a Changing World by Rob Hopkins
Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World in 17 Dishes by Ha-Joon Chang
Frances Owen
As ever, our thanks to Salisbury Library for allowing us to use their space which is much appreciated. Our next meeting is on July 11th at 10:00.
Salisbury Democracy Alliance 
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