Party leaders speak up in support of faith groups

The leaders of the three main parties have all expressed their support for the greater involvement of faith groups in the public arena.

Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg shared their views in an interview with Faithworks founder Steve Chalke broadcast on Radio 4 at the weekend and also posted on YouTube as a video.

Mr Brown paid tribute to the innovative care offered by faith-based organisations and spoke of his openness for more faith-based services.

“I think we’ve seen over the last few years that there is something way beyond markets and way beyond the operation of governments that really does motivate people to do the things that they do,” he said.

“And I think its people sense that they have a responsibility to other people, its people sense that they have a duty not just to their family directly which of course they have, but a duty to the whole of the community, and its people who see that they want to do to other people as they would do to them.”

He added: “We have a duty as government to see that more faith-based services are provided.”

Mr Cameron said he wanted to see a “big growth” in the number of faith-based organisations and charities and that faith-based organisations should be “celebrated”.

He said: “I think churches do a huge amount in our community and have always done. I’m a great believer that we need the big society, not the big state.

“And if you think about what organisations in our communities have done the most to provide great schools, to help the homeless, to help some of the poorest and most vulnerable in our community, the church has always done a lot and is still doing a lot and I hope will do even more in the future.”

Mr Clegg expressed his belief that churches and church-related community groups would play an even greater role in the future.

“Whitehall shouldn’t do everything,” he said.

He recalled a recent visit with The Salvation Army to parts of Sheffield city centre where local homeless people sleep.

“They [The Salvation Army] were out there, at four or five o’ clock in the morning, actually reaching out to the most vulnerable. I think community groups like that can reach out to parts of society that often remain untouched by local authorities or governments in London,” he said.

Mr Clegg went on to say that people should be free to celebrate their faiths so long as it was “in a spirit of mutual tolerance and respect”.

Chalke said the party leaders’ support for faith groups was “encouraging”. Faithworks is asking Christians to use the YouTube video of the interviews in their churches in the run-up to the election.

It is also encouraging Christians to sign the Faithworks Declaration calling on government to ensure that faith-based groups are given support in serving their communities, rather than treated with suspicion.

On the web:
www.faithworks.info/temp/Faithworkssp2010spDeclarationsp-spSignspupspsheet.pdf
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfeownbNzHI&feature=player_embedded