Starmer launches ‘Faith Champions Network’ to engage faith groups

Keir Starmer has launched Labour’s new ‘Faith Champions Network’ to promote faith groups and faith-based organisations in supporting their communities.

Speaking at the annual faiths reception at the Labour’s 2022 conference, the leader said: “MPs and peers will be message carriers and engage with specific communities. So this is, I think and I hope, a demonstration of how we want to engage.”

‘Faith champions’ will report directly to Starmer, and will work with local authorities and faith-based organisations, with the aim to replicate the volunteering and community action that took place during the height of the covid pandemic.

“We’ve been hit harder because of 12 years of lack of preparedness, 12 years of a weak economy, 12 years of broken puppet services and 12 years of broken promises,” Starmer said.

“It’s always faith groups, it’s you, it’s others, it’s your communities that stepped in to that breach, to help our communities. You show the really the very best of us because.”

The network will be led by shadow faith minister Sarah Owen, who said “working with faith groups can make a vital contribution to developing an effective programme, and to building support for it, between now and the next election”.

She criticised the government’s position on faith groups, calling them “too dismissive of those whose starting point for politics is faith” and highlighting that “at one point they quietly abolished the role if minister for faith entirely”.

At the same event, Starmer spoke about the party’s record on antisemitism and discrimination, saying that Labour “had to do the hard yards” to “root antisemitism”. He added: “We had to do it and we did it, absolutely from day one.

“We had to tackle islamophobia and I’m really glad that we’ve got new codes not just for islamophobia, but afrophobia and for anti-Black racism. We have to do that work within our party.”

Starmer also took the opportunity to praise the late Queen saying she was “very clear about the role the religion played in her life”.

The Labour leader was optimistic, saying: “I feel most more strongly today that felt ever since something leader that we can go to the country ready to win that general election, and we’re ready to govern.”

Stephen Timms, Labour’s faith envoy also commented, saying: “Far from being a problem, religious conviction is taking on a new, valuable role, inspiring vital community initiatives and campaigns for social justice at a national and international level.”