The year of elections and church action!
2024 has been the year of elections; half of the world’s population has had the opportunity to go to the polls. For us in the UK, the July election brought a new Labour government and a new UK Parliament, filled with hundreds of new MPs.
Churches across the UK have been making the most of this fresh start, to break bread with their MPs, new or old, and share why they care about action on poverty.
Sharing food with strangers crops up in many parts of the Bible. Jesus frequently shared bread with those he encountered - it's a symbol of welcome, hospitality, care, openness, and peace. It's an act of building and strengthening relationships.
Below are just a few examples of the incredible action that’s been happening:
Starting in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Christian Aid supporters from churches in the Vale of Leven, used their annual sponsored walk to meet their new MP Douglas McAllister. The 7km river walk and soup lunch, allowed those participating to chat with Douglas, about everything from the local landscape to why they support the work of Christian Aid. It was such a welcoming experience that Douglas stayed a lot longer than he initially planned, enabling the group to get to know Douglas better and form a stronger relationship. This relationship could be vital in years to come if the churches in the Vale of Leven want to push the UK Government for greater action to tackle the climate crisis.
Coffee and conversation in Wales and Southwest England
Coffee and chats with MPs have certainly been popular. Peter in Monmouthshire used the climate coalition’s National Day of Action, to join with local Greenpeace activists, to chat with his new MP Catherine Fookes in a local coffee shop.
Here the group spoke with Catherine about the climate crisis, and the impact it was having locally and globally. Peter learned about Catherine’s background in the sustainable resource sector and they’re hoping to continue their conversation with Catherine in the future.
Finding out the small details and points of interest – as Peter did - can be so helpful in thinking about your way into conversations with people in people.
And earlier in the year the Castle Cary Christian Aid Group invited then election candidate – now MP - Sarah Dyke to their Christian Aid Week Coffee morning. The group didn’t have much experience of meeting local politicians. But they took the plunge, showing that you don’t need loads of experience to arrange a meeting with your MP, you just need to be willing to do it.
Breaking bread in Wolverhampton, England
Holy Trinity Church, Heath Town, decided to put on an evening meal as an opportunity to meet their new MP Sureena Brackenridge. During the evening members of the church spoke to Sureena about the need to increase the UK’s aid budget. Sureena was meeting with government ministers the following Monday and promised to share the supporters’ concerns with them, showing the far-reaching impact meeting your MP can have.
Meeting MPs in Westminster
While churches and groups have been busy breaking bread with their MPs in constituencies, staff at Christian Aid have been meeting them in Westminster too.
One of the highlights was seeing 40 Parliamentarians join a debt event in September. The event was hosted by MP Sam Rushworth, in collaboration with Christian Aid, CAFOD and Debt Justice. During the event the Minister for International Development, Anneliese Dodds dropped in, as conversations around the need for debt relief for low-income countries buzzed around the room.
Mixed bag
Now, not every invite to an MP has worked. A group in Aberdeen invited their MP to their Harvest lunch, but the MP couldn’t come along on account of it being his birthday- ok fair enough, we’ll let him off for that. But there have been others as well, and getting a no, or even no reply can be disheartening, we get it too as Christian Aid.
Just remember even when an MP can’t come, there’s still value in inviting them. Your invite shows your elected representative that people they represent (you!) care about action on poverty. Not not only that, this shows you are willing to meet with them – that's more meaningful than a pre-written petition or even a handwritten letter – that shows a deep concern. And the more MPs hear about a deep concern for our global neighbours living in poverty from constituents the more likely they are to do something about it.
So just like the group in Aberdeen, don’t let one ‘no’ be the end of everything, God certainly doesn’t. And if you’ve already met your MP, just like Peter, be thinking about how you can continue to connect in the future.
If you’d like any help contacting your MP, please email us on campaigns@christian-aid.org and if you’ve already contacted your MP please let us know, it helps our advocacy in Westminster.
Use breaking bread guide to help and support you.