The UK General Election will take place on Thursday 4th July and all the political parties are deep into their campaigns.
The election comes against a background of increased violent conflict around the world. The war in Ukraine continues, there are no signs of a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and, in Sudan, a potential genocide is proceeding largely unreported. There are violent conflicts in other countries that we hear very little about. As Pope Francis has said, it is as if a third world war is being fought ‘piecemeal’.
Both of the major parties have made security and defence (in their words) a significant pillar of their campaigns. We have been told we are living in a ‘pre war’ state and must prepare for war. The Tories, Labour Party and Liberal Democrats are all committed to increased military spending. All are committed to maintaining the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
In the UK itself, we can easily ignore what has been described as an epidemic of serious youth violence not just in our major cities but across the country. We sense increased polarisation and division in and between our communities. Even our politics is broken with very little trust in any party or politician.
To help us discern how we might exercise our vote in this environment and how we can question candidates and parties in our constituency, we have joined with our colleagues in the Network of Christian Peace Organisations to produce a briefing note on the election which you can read here:
You can find other justice and peace related election resources here:
Rethinking Security: General Election 2024 – Five Issues for Building Sustainable Security
Columbans Vocation for Justice – Preparing for the Election
CAFOD: UK General Election 2024 – A Guide for Catholic Voters
