RMC Election Briefing: relationship between faith groups and the government

Religion Media Centre Podcast

How should the incoming government work with faith groups in modern, diverse Britain? In this Religion Media Centre briefing, the panel discussed the current vacuum of communication, and heard that Muslims in particular feel alienated and ostracised. The government refuses to speak to the Muslim Council of Britain and there is no mechanism for faith groups to tap into central government.

Meanwhile, the Church of England and the Catholic church among others, have well-established structures allowing access to government ministers. Labour alone in this election has promised to ensure strong partnerships with faith communities including the appointment of a faith minister to lead on engagement with faith communities.

In this briefing, Sir Stephen Timms, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group of Faith in Society, said the government’s ban on talking to the Muslim Council of Britain was “absolutely absurd” and he was confident that a new Labour government, if elected, would talk to them. He criticised the government’s withdrawal of support to the Interfaith Network, a decision he described as “extraordinarily foolish”.

Lord Jim Wallace spoke for the Liberal Democrats, but the Conservatives did not put forward a spokesperson. The former faith engagement adviser under Boris Johnson, Colin Bloom, outlined the faith and government conversations held during Covid and offered recommendations for future relations.

Other speakers included: Professor Adeela Shafi, Richard Chapman, Marie Southall, Phil Champain, Daniel Singleton, Amrick Singh Ubhi, and Jack Palmer-White.

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