The parliament elected on 4 July this year has been called the most irreligious parliament in history.
Eagle eyed observers have been counting how many MPs chose to swear their oaths of allegiance on a holy book compared to those who elected to affirm their allegiance without reference to a deity. While around 60% still used a religious form, this was notably fewer than in any previous parliament. One wag noted that when MPs were asked which book they wished to swear their oath on, responses included requests for the King Charles version, the King George version and the St James version of the Bible, which may imply that some were guided more by tradition than belief.
There were a few exceptions from Quakers and others who hold a faith but decline to swear oaths. Tim Farron was one who spoke about his reasons to Premier. But on the whole, the numbers reflect the ongoing decline in the number of people who hold a religious faith in the UK.
So what can Christians expect from the new government?
Ahead of the election Keir Starmer spoke about his and his family's faith on a number of occasions. He described how he grew up 'loosly' in an Anglican family, although he is not a believer. He didn't elaborate on his upbringing, but Mouse took that to mean it was one in which he didn't attend church.
More interestingly, he talked about the Jewish heritage of his wife and how they are bringing up their children in this faith. Starmer is fiercely private about his children, so I don't expect we'll get much detail about what that means, but it certainly shows an understanding of the value of faith and a respect for it.
It is also notable that a number of Christians hold significant positions in government. The new Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has been open and outspoken about his own faith on many occasions. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has described herself as a practicing Christians and Health Secretary Wes Streeting has described himself in similar terms, including the challenge of reconciling his faith with his sexuality. Bridget Phillipson was appointed to the role of Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities and has also been open about her Catholic faith. She was quick to add that she disagreed with the Catholic Church on abortion and contraception. All in all, there are lots of Christian voices around the Cabinet table in senior roles.
Labour have been keen to build bridges with churches under Starmer's leadership. Baroness Maeve Sherlock, an ordained priest in the Church of England, was appointed to the role of Shadow Faith Minister to advise the Labour front bench on matters of faith. The Labour Party also established a network of 'Faith Champions' within Parliament in 2022.
Others have noticed the language of faith creeping into Labour's communications. Starmer talks of 'missions' as the driving force for his programme for government. He frequently talks about hope, healing and renewal. It may be no coincidence that his speechwriter, Abigail Martin, spent the last six years working for the Archbishop of Canterbury.
In terms of concrete policies, there are many things which Christians will be concerned with in the same way people of no faith are, so picking out distinctive policies that relate to Churches and Christian communities is difficult. Christians likely have a particular concern for the poor and those in need, although many have been disappointed that Labour has refused to remove the two child benefits cap, with the Archbishop of Canterbury one of the prominent figures calling for a change of policy. Labour's programme more broadly, however, is strong on ambition and light on detail.
Many Christians were vocal in opposition to the previous government's policy of seeking to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda and were delighted when one of the first acts of the new government was to end that plan.
There have been noises made about a new unit to be established under Deputy Prime Minister Angela Raynor to tackle homelessness, similar to the Rough Sleeper Unit that Tony Blair established. As yet, media reports have yet to be confirmed, but this is certainly an initiative that could make a real difference in an area many churches are actively involved.
Some Christians may be looking for commitments from the government around support for persecuted Christians around the world. It is not clear what this would look like in practice, however, and the government has offered nothing specific. Similarly, debate over trans issues have been prominent in some faith communities. It is not yet clear how the new government will proceed with the legal case around banning puberty blockers for young trans people, although it looks like Wes Streeting will extend the ban on them, while the broader approach in this area can only be described as ambiguous at best and confused at worst.
Another point of contention has been the proposed ban on conversion therapy. Some Christians, most notably Jayne Ozanne who is herself a survivor of such therapy, have pushed for a clear ban. Conservative voices have pushed back, however, suggesting that a ban may end up criminalising those offering 'consensual prayer' to LGBT+ individuals who request it - in other words themselves. Labour's position on this is, again, unclear although one suspects that their sympathies lie more with those seeking a total ban.
In truth, it is hard to find specific policies that have resulted from the engagement with faith communities that Labour have been pursuing. It strikes Mouse that while there has clearly been a strong attempt to build bridges with the faith community, the benefits of this effort fall more on the side of the politicians than the churches. It is notable that Maeve Sherlock has been moved into a new role in the Department of Work and Pensions and her previous shadow faith brief is yet to be filled in government.
Some in the UK have been effective in working with government to achieve real policy changes. Christians such as Krish Kandiah led efforts to introduce government sponsored schemes to support refugees relocating to the UK from Ukraine and Hong Kong with families and communities hosting and supporting them. This was quite an achievement in the face of a Conservative government that was in general hostile to any form of relocation to the UK. This demonstrates that engagement with government can make a real difference.
It strikes Mouse that this is the kind of engagement with government that we should seek. Tea and sandwiches at No.10 may give those present the feeling of importance, but it should always come with a list of demands and never simply to stroke egos.
0 comments:
Post a Comment