We congratulate Sir Keir Starmer on his appointment as Prime Minister, and all who will now take their seats representing their constituencies as Members of Parliament in Westminster.
The election campaign has been hard-fought, but we know that the real challenges still lie ahead.
The new government inherits a situation where poverty in the UK has been increasing and deepening at an alarming rate. Conflict and persecution in different parts of the world are forcing many to flee their homes to seek safety in other countries including the UK. The existential threat of climate change is causing enormous suffering to both humankind and the wider natural world. There is an urgent need for politicians to restore trust and rebuild integrity in public life. There are also huge pressures on the NHS, on social care, on the criminal justice system, education and other public services, as well as on the public finances.
It is clear that there is an appetite for change in the country, but also a need to restore faith in the ability of politics to meet these challenges.
We urge the new government to put the needs of those who are most vulnerable and marginalised at the forefront as it wrestles to respond to these problems. We also encourage it to work in partnership with local communities to tackle them, in recognition that we all have a part to play in these endeavours, and welcome the commitment made by the new Prime Minister to build strong partnerships with faith groups. Churches across the UK will continue to respond practically in many different ways, but we also look forward to building relationships with the new government and newly elected MPs, and remain ready to support policies and initiatives that offer just and sustainable long-term solutions.
We offer our prayers for the Prime Minister, for the new government and for all elected MPs. We will pray for God’s blessing to be on all endeavours to seek peace, justice and the wellbeing of this nation – and where we can embody that blessing, we will.
The Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain
The Revd Helen Cameron and Carolyn Godfrey, President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference
The Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, General Assembly Moderator of the United Reformed Church
Image: Keir Starmer/Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0