Policy discussions often foster an environment only specific individuals, such as accredited policymakers, would understand, some foreign language to individuals who have yet to proceed to qualify themselves as policy professionals. This deters many people from engaging and partaking in meaningful discussions around policy, which limits the diversity and diverse perspectives in policy creation. However, PolicyCON aims to crush the notion that you have to have, for example, numerous PhDs or a bachelor’s degree in economics to partake in the policy-making process. Instead, it asserts that everyday people, everyday workers and just about anyone in the world can be the change, foster it, and become the change they want to see for the better.

Subscribers can be anyone! The government/ministers, charities, registered businesses, research institutions, support and advocacy groups, etc. This is all because the intel provided by PolicyCON affects the real world; it impacts these groups or the people they serve and represent. This insight would allow for a fundamental change in certain aspects of everyday life; for example, it could range from transportation to aspects of working life.

There can be a wide variety of analysts in PolicyCON. Analysts can be anyone with lived experience, such as a retail worker who has worked, for example, ten years in the field. It can be academic experts, for example, someone who has just got a master’s or bachelor’s in economics. It can be anyone with research experience or analyst experience. It can be individuals with practical, academic or lived experience from any age. Such different life experiences can only serve the mission statement of PolicyCON, which is to get diverse perspectives to join in with the policy-making process.

Undeniably, there is a multitude of people from different ethnic backgrounds, different classes and different walks of life in the United Kingdom; no two individuals have had the same experience. PolicyCON considers this; with each analyst, there is another unique view on the Policy that is being considered. A statement from a high-class white male concerning the cost-of-living crisis currently afflicting Britain will almost certainly differ from that of a lower-class shop worker. This gap should be bridged by using policy professionals and these individuals to discuss how policy can benefit struggling individuals.

There has been recent outrage at the cost of fuel prices, with various petitions being made to the government and Parliament to put a cap on fuel prices so people can afford to drive, but this has come to no avail. If there were a policy regarding this, which we can only hold out dismal hope for, the views of people who required a car to get to and from work and the opinions of people who used their vehicle for work would be of integral importance.

They could advocate behind the voice that stated there should be a price cap on petrol; the prices are soaring and spiralling out of control, and the only people benefiting from such fees are the multimillionaires and companies in charge of production and supply of petrol, BP and Shell have both reported the highest gross revenue in history as a result of these scandalous prices. As an individual, there is little we can do if a policy regarding these issues comes about; connecting people most affected by the price increase with the policy professionals would hopefully harness a more proficient outcome than if their views were not considered.

It is also essential to consider the ease of access to policy professionals through PolicyCON; subscribers have the luxury of having policy brought to their doorstep. I often imagine people creating policy meetings in restricted buildings, which you can only access with a magnetic card, allowing the doors to open for you. I imagine them walking into a room with the Union Jack flag above them to discuss how best they can make a change.

However, with PolicyCON, that is far from the case; the platform allows subscribers and analysts (ordinary individuals with diverse viewpoints) to stay informed about new policy developments and contribute to the policy decisions that would impact their lives. This is done by facilitating conversations between the policymakers and the individuals affected by the policies. It can be done from the comfort of the subscribers’ homes; they only need internet access and a laptop or smartphone.

It is also notable that the subscription fee an individual gains from making their perspective known can help them with the cost they incur and feel valued for their time and effort. Not only does this include subscribers in the policy-making process, but it empowers them by giving them an opportunity they may not have been exposed to otherwise. Maybe an individual is never really heard in early life and becomes more reclusive; this platform would foster an environment where they would feel understood, their voice can be heard, and their ideas will make a difference. That’s all a person can want: to be the change they want to see in the world.

PolicyCON is an innovative site that connects subscribers to Policy Analysts. The subscription opens up a whole new world for individuals to interact with and participate in policy-making. How the site can work is subscribers are prompted to empower the voice that resonates with them the most; every voice is amplified and heard throughout PolicyCON; that’s what makes the company so engaging!

In summary, it is clear that analysts will be equipped with the knowledge and power to disseminate their views on policies that would affect them. Cultivating conversations amongst such individuals would ensure that every viewpoint was considered when making a policy that would invariably affect a whole nation or, if not a large proportion of the country.