Behind the day to day tussles over specific reform agendas, there is always a deeper and more fundamental struggle, where every debate about solutions to long-term unemployment is also a debate about human nature; every debate about poverty alleviation is also a debate about what constitutes an acceptable level of inequality; and every debate about the level of social spending is also a debate about whether there is such a thing as society, and, if so, what a good one would look like. The first paper in this series of discussion papers, 'Reclaiming our Common Wealth' makes a case for reconnecting public policies to shared values and openly stated principles. Future papers and articles will present brief, accessible summaries of the principles neglected in current government policies, and explain their implications for policy makers.