The PSG was established at the end of 2004. It was born from a concern about the way in which public debate in Britain was growing increasingly debased, raucous and unfruitful. Our aim was to attract like-minded people concerned in one way or another with public life, to look together at the issues facing us as a nation, and where possible to try to influence local and national decision-making.

We set about this by having discussions online open to anyone who wished to join in, and also by setting up sub-groups concerned with particular areas of concern – the environment, asylum seekers, poverty, housing, education, health, racial and gender discrimination.