The Church of England is urging citizens to “set aside apathy and cynicism” in next month’s election and consider the British values of cohesion, courage and stability when they cast their votes.
The church also says the “religious faith of any election candidate should not be treated by opponents as a vulnerability to be exploited,” in what may be a reference to the repeated questioning of the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, an evangelical Christian, about his views on gay sex.
The message of the three-page “pastoral letter” (pdf) from the archbishops of Canterbury and York to all parishes is intended to be shared with congregations on Sunday. Its contents have been subject of intense internal discussion after a 52-page letter from the House of Bishops sent to parishes before the 2015 election was seen as a criticism of the government’s welfare policies.
The letter, signed by Justin Welby and John Sentamu, speaks of concern for “the weak, poor and marginalised” and the need for a “radical approach for education”, a “flourishing health service” and a “just economy”.
But the archbishops’ inclusion of stability as a key British value may be interpreted as an implicit endorsement of Theresa May’s “strong and stable” campaign mantra. Two years ago, a YouGov analysis for the Church Times found that people who identify themselves as Anglicans were almost twice as likely to vote Conservative as Labour.
The election – which comes nearly a year after the Brexit referendum and amid renewed speculation about the future of the union – is “being contested against the backdrop of deep and profound questions of identity,” the letter says. “Opportunities to renew and reimagine our shared values as a country and a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland only come around every few generations. We are in such a time.”
It adds: “If our shared values are to carry the weight of where we now stand and the challenges ahead of us, they must have at their core cohesion, courage and stability.”
In discussing cohesion, the archbishops say: “The United Kingdom, when at its best, has been represented by a sense not only of living for ourselves, but by a deeper concern for the weak, poor and marginalised, and for the common good.
“At home that includes education for all, the need for urgent and serious solutions to our housing challenges, the importance of creating communities as well as buildings, and a confident and flourishing health service that gives support to all – especially the vulnerable – not least at the beginning and end of life.
“Abroad it is seen in many ways, including the 0.7% aid commitment, properly applied in imaginative ways, standing up for those suffering from persecution on grounds of faith, and our current leading on campaigns against slavery, trafficking and sexual violence in conflicts.”
In an acknowledgement of the factors behind last year’s Brexit vote, the archbishops write: “Offering a generous and hospital welcome to refugees is a vital expression of our common humanity, but it is not without cost and we should not be deaf to the legitimate concerns that have been expressed about the scale of population flows and the differential impact it has on different parts of the country. The pressures of integration must be shared more equitably.”
Responding to the letter, Andrew Copson of the British Humanist Association said: “This is a letter to a country that no longer exists. The public today overwhelmingly recognise that sound virtues and ethics are not the preserve of the religious nor ‘spring’ from Christianity. That is … an insult to the majority of the British people who have non-religious beliefs and values and contribute enormously to British life as they have for generations.”
