26 October 2017
Support the most vulnerable, say Churches in open letter to Prime Minister
- Read the Open Letter
Leaders from four major UK Churches have signed an open letterto the re-appointed Prime Minister, David Cameron, congratulatinghim on his election and encouraging him to hold 'truth, justice,peace and wellbeing' at the heart of the government.
With a focus on 'loving our neighbour', the letter reminds thePrime Minister that a wholesome society should be concerned for theweakest and most vulnerable, both locally and globally.
The letter, signed by leaders of the Baptist Union of GreatBritain, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church and theUnited Reformed Church, highlights several of the key concerns thatthe Churches believe should be high on the agenda of the newgovernment, calling for:
- a full review of the impact of the benefits sanctionssystem
- a postponement of further spending on Trident and a seriousre-assessment of the need for nuclear weapons
- assertive international action to uphold human rights anddeliver humanitarian assistance in Syria
- action to make freedom of religion a human rights priority inall aspects of foreign policy
"Remembering our neighbours is vital for a healthy society,"said Rachel Lampard, leader of the Joint Public Issues Team, whichworks on behalf of the Churches. "Whilst policies protecting themost weak and vulnerable of society may not always be the mostpopular, they are necessary to live out the common good, regardlessof political perspective."
The Revd Sally Foster-Fulton, Convener of the Church and SocietyCouncil of the Church of Scotland added, "The very significantgrowth in the number of people voting in Scotland - up 7.3% fromthe last General Election - and the sweeping victories for theScottish National Party means that the UK Government must engagewith the Scottish Government and people as an absolute priority.The Scottish people have voted in huge numbers for change and thatmust be respected."
"The implementation of government policies is always difficultwhen resources are limited," the Revd Stephen Keyworth, Faith andSociety Team Leader of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said."Whilst we applaud some of the achievements of the previousgovernment, such as the reduction in unemployment, a commitment tocombat climate change and ensuring 0.7% of the national income isgiven in overseas aid, it is important for the new government toremember the key foundations for both domestic and global policies:truth, justice, peace and wellbeing."
The Revd John Proctor, General Secretary of the United ReformedChurch, added, "Our churches are particularly concerned about theplaces and communities our society too often overlooks. We carethat the needs and hurts of all our people should inform those wholead our country and write our laws."
To read the complete text of the open letter, please click
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