A Letter to an Incoming Government from Voices in the Faith & Belief Sector

A bold new statement calling for a radical reappraisal of the role of religion and belief in British Society will be officially launched at the first ever Interfaith Hustings to be held at St Martin’s-in-the-Fields in London on the 26th June at 6.30 pm.

A Letter to an Incoming Government from Voices in the Faith & Belief Sector calls for the vision, experience and expertise of the faith and belief sector to be placed as a key voice in re-imagining a new Britain that will be better equipped to face the unprecedented challenges we all face.

Key recommendations to an incoming government covering representation, protection and faith in institutions, include:

– Work with the Committee for Standards in Public Life to introduce a new oath for holders of public office that prohibits the deliberate stirring up of divisions among communities

The letter is intended as a contribution to the national debate of the future of the nation that has been prompted by the 2024 General Election to be held on July 4th.

It has been created by a new group of faith and belief voices in British public life, called the Faith and Belief Policy Collective.

The Collective is resourced by representatives of over 30 religion and belief groups across the UK and reflects a rich diversity of Abrahamic, Dharmic and belief traditions (including Humanists). It was initially established by the Faith & Belief Forum, and the Faiths and Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths University of London.

The Collective was originally convened to consider a response to the Bloom Review into How Government Engages with Faith, published in 2023 and the first ever national review of its kind. The review recognises the indispensable role faith groups play in providing vital resources and leadership for the resilience and flourishing of British society, especially in the context of COVID-19 and ongoing poverty.

However, the Collective sought to develop further the thinking contained in the Bloom review and challenge some of the assumptions within the policy world. This assumes that the role of faith and belief is simply to ‘bind the wounds’ of the many who are clearly struggling to live full and dignified lives in the current context.

Instead, we think that religion and belief groups, based on the proven experience, innovation, resources, social reach and long-term perspectives they bring, should also have a voice at the policy table, shaping the structures of policy approaches and articulating the shared values on which these policies should be based.

As the Letter states: ‘The knowledge and practice embodied in our religious and belief communities are integral to proactively creating the strong and resilient relationships

required for the immense challenges that lie ahead. We therefore seek, and indeed claim the right, to bring our ideas and insights, along with others, to the policy-making table.’

Phil Champain, Director of the Faith & Belief Forum stated: ‘this timely input from the Faith and Belief Policy Collective demonstrates a clear commitment from faith and belief groups to pull together with government and others to address the critical issues facing our shared society.’

Contact:

Phil Champain, 07866920444 phil@faithbeliefforum.org

Mahmooda Qureshi, mahmooda@faithbeliefforum.org

Professor Chris Baker – 07779 000021 c.baker@gold.ac.uk

Notes to editors:

About The Faith & Belief Policy Collective (F&BPC)

F&BPC is an emerging group of faith and belief voices across all traditions interested in contributing to the debate on how to build a resilient, inclusive and flourishing Britain. It first met in November 2023 and set out its aims to share ideas about the deep challenges currently facing our society, explore how faith and belief communities in the UK are addressing them in partnership with others, and provide support and solidarity in the face of growing social polarisation. Members of the collective are drawn from a range of different faith and belief backgrounds, reflecting the dynamic, diverse and hugely variegated religion and belief landscape in Britain. It was initially convened by the Faith & Belief Forum (F&BF) and the Faiths and Civil Society Unit (FCSU), Goldsmiths, University of London. Administrative capacity is provided by F&BF.

About The Faith & Belief Forum (F&BF)

F&BF is the largest interfaith charity in the UK. Our vision is a connected and supportive society where people of different faiths, beliefs and cultures have strong, productive and lasting relations. We believe the future belongs to people of all beliefs, that intolerance has no place in society and that diversity adds value. Our mission is to promote and build meaningful and resilient relationships between people of all faiths and non-religious beliefs, through education, encounter, and social action opportunities. We consider ourselves to be an areligious, apolitical organisation which has inclusivity and integrity at its core.

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About the Faiths & Civil Society Unit, Goldsmiths, London University (FCSU)

FCSU is a policy research unit based at Goldsmiths, University of London which conducts research into lived religion and lived belief for more informed policies around diversity and inclusion.