As we continue to see the ramifications of last week’s English local and devolved Scottish and Welsh elections, Westminster will – in theory – go back to usual on Wednesday with the state opening of parliament. The King will give a government-written speech laying out their priorities for the next parliamentary session.
A few weeks ago, we were asked what JPIT and our Churches would want to see from the King’s Speech. Here are a few of those suggestions.
Refugees and migration
It’s likely that the King’s Speech will include some references to the Labour government’s attempts to reorganise the refugee and migration system in the UK. Our Churches, alongside voices from other faith groups, have made clear our deep concerns about the direction the government is heading in relation to refugees. We stand by the Biblical call to “welcome the stranger”, and for refugees to be treated how any of us would wish to be treated.
We hope that the harshest of the consulted-on proposals, such as punishing asylum seekers who arrive by small boat with significantly longer timelines to settled status, would be left out of any official government proposals.
We also repeat our calls for the government to allow those seeking asylum to work, thereby enabling them to begin integrating, rebuilding their lives and contributing financially to the system. Secondly, the government has made reference to opening new safe routes for sanctuary. We want to see more details of these plans and hope they are sufficient that those fleeing war and persecution will be able to apply for asylum without being forced to risk their lives in dangerous channel crossings. Finally, we want the government to announce a full reopening of the refugee family reunion scheme and to not place additional barriers in front of refugees hoping to reunite with their loved ones. For more information on our campaign on refugee family reunion, click here.
Poverty
Levels of poverty in the UK are continuing to rise, and we hear time and again that even for those in employment or those unable to work and relying on the social security system that they don’t have enough to pay for life’s essentials.
We want to see the government set up an “Essentials Commission” that would publish yearly recommendations on where to set welfare levels to allow claimants to live healthy, fulfilled lives. Over the years we have seen the welfare budget being used as a pot that the government can chose to subtract from when they feel there is something more worthy of spending money on, all without significant thought as to the realities these budget cuts will make to the lives of thousands of people. An “Essentials Commission” would stop that budget being used as a political football and ensure decisions are made in the interests of people living in poverty. Find out more about the calls from anti-poverty charities here.
Climate
In recent weeks, there have been positive announcements that should help the UK accelerate its transition towards net zero and, importantly during a time of fuel crisis, away from fossil fuels. These include the partial decoupling of UK electricity prices from gas electricity generation, which is projected to also trim down the average household’s energy bill.
Initiatives like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme are helping households electrify their homes and install renewable technologies. However, for some, particularly lower-income households, these grants do not go far enough and there is a fear that they could be left behind paying an ever-increasing share of the cost to keep the gas network running as more affluent households transition away from fossil fuels. The government’s Warm Home Scheme and Future Homes Standard will go some way to helping resolve these concerns but, especially in the case of the Warm Homes Scheme, there is work to be done to ensure individuals know that this funding is available and that they trust the technologies installed and the schemes put in place to deliver them.
International peace
The international picture hasn’t looked as unstable as it does today for a long time. With national security threats old and new rearing their heads the government has been under increasing pressure to funnel more and more money into military spending. We are due to hear more about these plans in a long overdue Defence Investment Plan and some announcements on this topic may make their way into Wednesday’s King’s Speech.
In some of the debate around this, proponents of increased military spending have pitched the welfare budget and military budget as fundamentally opposing. In a speech in April, Former NATO Secretary General and UK Government advisor Lord Robertson said, “we cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget.”
The government has already further reduced the international aid budget to shift money towards military spending, a move many have pointed out is likely to make the world less stable, as reducing investment in peacebuilding and poverty reduction drives more conflict. In the UK and abroad, the government should not punish those in the greatest need with spending cuts because of international instability.
Restoring faith in politics
The election results demonstrated that there is an appetite for change in the country, and a dissatisfaction with the current government’s approach, even if they showed no consensus around an alternative approach. As many governments around the world are finding, governing is hard. In this increasingly fractious political context, as the new parliamentary session begins the government faces the wider task of restoring faith in its ability to meet the many challenges of the current age and to unite people across political divides. A legislative programme will only ever be a part of this and needs to sit within a wider vision of how it will use its power to serve the common good.