MP raises concerns about Blairís speech to Christians
-22/03/05
A Labour MP has raised concerns ahead of a lecture to be given by the Prime Minister today to the Christian social action group Faithworks.
The comments by Alice Mahon came in an interview on BBC Radio 4ís Today Programe this morning, when the Halifax MP went head-to-head with Faithworks founder Rev Steve Chalke.
The Prime Minister is expected today to refocus the debate over religion and politics away from recent rows over abortion. He will highlight issues ranging from his party’s support for the Make Poverty History campaign to new opportunities for religious activists to get involved in public services, in an address and webcast.
All three party leaders have taken the platform to address Christians, offered by the Faithworks campaign.
Blair is expected to refocus the argument around more traditional issues of importance to churchgoers, such as how the government can tap into Christian grassroots activism. However, he is likely also to be grilled about his own faith during a question-and-answer session following the lecture.
In the Radio 4 interview, Faithworks founder Steve Chalke said he wanted politicians to talk about society and engage with the church because the church has a key role to play along with lots of other voluntary organisations in every community in delivering ìthe kind of healthy active communities we all need.î
ìWe are not asking Tony Blair to talk about his faith, but we are asking him to talk about the role that churches have, because we believe that that churches are already playing a great roleî he said.
ìWe would like to talk to the Prime Minister and hear what vision he has for the way that we can enhance the already effective role that churches are playing.î
Chalke also said he wanted the government to talk to other faiths too. He said that whilst he was motivated by his own faith, that meant having respect for other faith groups.
Labour MP Alice Mahon however expressed concern at the way that religion was ìbeing given a more prominent role in our democracyî.
She said that she wanted the state to be ìsecularî, with ìa strong commitment to equality before the law for everybodyî.
A particular concern she said was how religion was being asked to participate in policy-making.
ìThere are other groups in society who have just as much to offerî she said.
ìWe are going down a road that they have gone down with great cost in Americaî
Citing recent example of ìreligious bigotryî in the UK, she also said; ìI donít want my lovely democratic country going down that routeî.
But Steve Chalke said that the church was ìnot looking for special status but a level playing fieldî.
Such a call however raises questions about what many see as an already privileged position for the church in society.
Critics point out that the church has 26 bishops in the House of Lords, huge government funding of church schools many of which operate admissions policies which discriminate in favour of church members and has its faith protected under Blasphemy laws – unlike any other religion.