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City Hall Drinks Reception

We are delighted to be organising an event in the evening of 9 February at City Hall in London, with Young Humanists and other political humanist groups. This will be the first event of its kind, and aims to be an informal way for our political groups and younger humanists to get together and chat about the cross-party political issues that matter to us. This event is open to all ages however it’s already proven so popular that we’ve started a waiting list. Find out more below and register on the BHA’s website.

Info and information

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Young Humanists, the BHA section for humanists aged 18-35, has teamed up with the political humanist groups – Humanist and Secularist Liberal Democrats, Labour Humanists, and Conservative Humanists – to bring you a very special evening at the striking City Hall, home to the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority (GLA).

We’ll talk about the most pressing issues facing non-religious people and how you can join efforts to build a secular state for all.

You’ll hear speeches from Tom Copley AM of the Labour Party, Andrew Boff AM, former leader of the Conservative Group in the London Assembly, Dawn Barnes, Liberal Democrats Federal Executive member and London Assembly candidate, Darren Johnson AM, former Green Party mayoral candidate, and Pavan Dhaliwal, Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns at the British Humanist Association.

Discuss what you’ve heard over a glass of wine, all while soaking up spectacular views of the Capital. Most importantly, you’ll have the chance to find out how you can stand up for the rights of people who live their lives without religion, and help to build a secular state for all.

The event is free, but booking is essential.

The event is kindly sponsored by BHA trustee and young humanist Tom Copley AM.

PS – don’t forget to tell your friends you’re going on Facebook.

When
February 9th, 2016 7:00 PM   through   9:00 PM

Location
Chamber Viewing Gallery
City Hall
The Queen’s Walk
London, SE1 2AA
United Kingdom

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AGM 2015

We held our AGM 2015 at the Labour Party conference in Brighton on Monday 28 September. Read the chair’s report.

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‘No Prayer’ Breakfast is our biggest ever!

We’ve held our ‘No Prayer’ Breakfast fringe event at Labour conference for several years and this was our most popular so far. Unfortunately for late arrivals (including some of our panel!) it wasn’t just a case of ‘no prayers’ but also ‘no breakfast’ as there were many more people than we had expected! Along with NPB regulars Polly Toynbee, Angela Eagle MP and Kelvin Hopkins MP, we were delighted that the new chair of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, Clive Lewis MP, was able to join us. We also welcomed back Tom Copley AM and Labour Humanists’ Naomi Phillips. Andrew Copson, British Humanist Association chief executive, chaired the event.

The speakers made clear the importance of having humanists in Parliament and of taking a humanist approach to policy making. Clive Lewis said that the rational, evidence-based thinking that’s core to Humanism applies well to politics. Specific issues raised by the panel included assisted dying and the need to continue to campaign for a more ethical law, despite a recent loss in Parliament. Polly Toynbee criticised the religious lobby specifically for its opposition to progressive laws. Faith schools were a big concern for both panel and audience – isn’t it time for Labour to oppose religiously selective and discriminatory practices by so many state schools? Human rights and equalities, including gender equality and free speech were also discussed. As humanists we can make a particular contribution to the debates and we should be leading the way within Labour on those issues.

Please do join us and help us campaign for a more equal, ethical and secular Labour.

A huge thanks to the British Humanist Association (BHA) for supporting this joint event.

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No Prayer Breakfast 2015 – line up announced!

2015 09 08 SP LW Labour No Prayer Breakfast poster 200 x 60 2015 09 08 SP LW Labour No Prayer Breakfast poster 200 x 602

 

We have a fantastic panel of speakers for our ‘No Prayer’ Breakfast meeting at Labour conference in Brighton.

Polly Toynbee – journalist, author and former British Humanist Association (BHA) president

Angela Eagle MP – shadow business secretary and shadow first secretary of state

Clive Lewis MP – chair, all party parliamentary humanist group

Andrew Copson – chief executive, British Humanist Association (BHA)

Tom Copley AM – London Assembly member

Kelvin Hopkins MP – co-chair, all party parliamentary humanist group

Chaired by Naomi Phillips, Labour Humanists

Please note – this meeting is in the secure zone so is only open to conference pass-holders.

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Should Humanism matter in politics? Video from the World Humanist Congress.

At the World Humanist Congress 2014 in Oxford, a fantastic panel bringing together humanists from UK, Europe and the USA discussed ‘Should Humanism matter in politics’: London Assembly member Tom Copley, UK Member of Parliament Kerry McCarthy, American Humanist Association Director of Development and Communications Maggie Ardiente and European Humanist Federation policy director Julie Pernet discuss how much Humanism should influence politicians who are humanists at the 2014 World Humanist Congress in Oxford.

The session was chaired by British Humanist Association (BHA) trustee and Labour Humanists chair Naomi Phillips. The video is now available to watch on YouTube. Do follow the BHA’s channel to see more sessions from #WHC2014 as they are published.

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Humanist priorities for Wales and Welsh Labour – event at Welsh Labour conference

We are delighted to announce that, for the first time, we will have a presence at Welsh Labour conference in Swansea, 1 – 15 February. In addition to a stand in the exhibition, we will be holding a joint fringe event with the British Humanist Association (BHA) at 17:30, Committee Room 3c in Brangwyn Hall, Saturday 14 February. We have got a fantastic panel for that meeting – if you are going to be at Welsh Labour conference do let us know and we hope you can join us.

‘Working for a more equal, ethical and secular Government. Humanist priorities for Wales and Welsh Labour.’
Speakers:
Andrew Copson, Chief Executive, British Humanist Association (BHA)
Karen Wilkie, Deputy General Secretary, Cooperative Party
Nia Griffith, Labour MP for Llanelli
Rhodri Morgan, former First Minister of Wales
Chair: TBC

Dyneiddwyr Llafur a’r Gymdeithas Dyneiddwyr Prydain (GDP). “Gweithio i ddatblygu lywodraeth fwy cyfartal, moesegol a seciwlar. Blaenoriaethau dyneiddiol ar gyfer Cymru a Llafur Cymru.”
Siaradwyr:
Andrew Copson, GDP
Karen Wilkie, Y Parti Cydweithredol
Nia Griffith AS
Rhodri Morgan
Chair: i’w gadarnhau

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‘No Prayer Breakfast’ a secular success at Conference!

We were delighted to hold another successful ‘No Prayer Breakfast’ fringe meeting at Labour Party Annual Conference on 23 September 2014. The event was described by Kelvin Hopkins MP as being his conference highlight when we hold them, and the atmosphere was certainly very positive, especially for 8am!

We worked closely with the British Humanist Association (BHA), to which we are affiliated, to put together the biggest panel of prominent speakers we’ve had so far. Chaired by Naomi Phillips, we heard from:

  • Angela Eagle MP, Chair of the Labour Party and Labour Humanists’ Patron
  • Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive
  • Owen Jones, author, commentator and Chavs author
  • Polly Toynbee, author and journalist
  • Kelvin Hopkins MP, Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group
  • Sunny Hundal, journalist and blogger
  • Tom Copley, Member of the London Assembly

Read what happened on our Storify of the event. You can also read the BHA’s report of their activities at all the Party conferences.

Panel at Labour Conference
(LtoR) Sunny Hundal, Naomi Phillips, Polly Toynbee, Angela Eagle, Tom Copley, Andrew Copson, Kelvin Hopkins (Owen Jones had to leave before this photo was taken!)

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Report from AGM 2014

Labour Humanists held our AGM 2014 at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester on Tuesday 23rd September. Read the Chair’s report and minutes, and the Treasurer’s report.

 

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Labour Humanists’ Chair makes speech to party conference

Very pleased to see Labour’s commitment to education, to a stronger school admissions code, to supporting teachers, to compulsory SRE in every state school.

My constituency party Chipping Barnet supports inclusive schools and the best teachers free to teach in any state school.

That is why Labour needs to go further and address the issue of state-funded faith schools. A third of state schools have a religious character and that number is growing through the Tories’ largely unregulated and growing academies and free schools programme.

Many state funded faith schools can and do select pupils on the basis of the religion of their parents. Labour should strengthen its position to make clear that whether someone believes in god or not, or which god they believe in, should have no bearing on whether their child can access a high quality education at their local school.

Those schools can and do put religious requirements on teaching jobs too. Allowing state funded schools to hire, fire, or set a ceiling on promotion for, suitably qualified teachers on religious grounds, must be at odds to Labour’s commitments to equality and to improving teacher quality.

Where I live, all new primary schools just opened or proposed are religious ones- Jewish and Christian. In 5 years time my daughter will be starting school. As a non-religious person who absolutely shares Labour values of equality and for inclusive high quality education, in 5 years time where should I send my daughter, when my local schools are faith schools, not inclusive, and have religious indoctrination as part of the ethos and curriculum?

Conference, let there be no doubt – our education system is only safe with Labour. Only Labour truly supports teachers. Only Labour fights for every young person to reach their educational potential regardless of their background. That is why I am a member.

And that is why Labour should not ignore or play down the threat to our values of equality and inclusion.
Labour must continue to fight for the right to every young person to have a high quality education at their local school
And we should have a national review of religion in education, ensuring the teaching of non-religious world views such as Humanism equally alongside religious perspectives.
We must look to strengthen out policy and rule out any state funded school from discriminating, selecting and segregating along religious grounds.

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No Prayer Breakfast & AGM 2014

No Prayer Breakfast Poster

 

Followed by Labour Humanists’ AGM. If you are not already a member, please consider joining us.