We have made two submissions to Labour’s policy review on behalf of our members, which will be considered by Labour’s policy commissions. The first is on secular public services and the second on Lords reform (Bishops in the Lords). Labour’s Your Britain policy site allows you to make comments on submissions and also vote in favour of them – please do take the opportunity to do so.
Please also see our page on the policy review, which has details of how you can get involved.
1) Secular public services – summary
As Labour people who are passionate about equality, human rights and freedom of speech and belief, we strongly support and welcome Labour’s continuing commitment to high-quality public services to which we all have access.
However, our particular concern is where public services are contracted to religious organisations. This is because those groups have significant exemptions from the Equality Act which allow them to discriminate: in employment; in the way they provide services; and in who they provide them to. They are also not bound by the HRA, and there is little to stop them from providing services in ways that are simply not inclusive.
Labour should take action and have a clear policy to ensure public services are equal, inclusive, and protect and promote human rights. All organisations, including religious groups working under public contract to provide public services, must operate in an inclusive, secular way. In practice that would mean:
A. No discrimination on religious or other grounds in employment
B. No discrimination on religious or other grounds against service users
C. No religious element part of the service, including prayers or proselytising
It is vital that a commitment to inclusive public services with no religious discrimination is in Labour’s 2015 manifesto.
Please read, comment on, and vote for our full submission.
2) Bishops in the Lords – summary
The UK is the only democratic country to give seats in its legislature to religious representatives as of right. It does this through the Lords Spiritual where 26 Church of England Bishops sit as of right in the House of Lords. In addition to the same speaking and voting rights as other peers, the Bishops in the Lords enjoy other privileges which unduly increase their influence over proceedings.
No other Western country has reserved seats for clerics in its legislature and we strongly believe that has no place in modern, liberal, democratic and diverse Britain. It is also clearly at odds with the aspiration of a more legitimate and representative second chamber.
In fact, Labour’s existing policy to have a 100% elected Lords would, in practice, mean abolishing the Lords Spiritual. However, Labour has not made explicit the need to end the practice of reserving seats in Parliament for 26 Church of England Bishops, in any reformed chamber.
A. Labour should have a clear and principled policy against religious privilege in our Parliament:
B. End the undemocratic ‘right’ for the Church of England to sit in our parliament
C. No reserved seats for any religious representatives
D. Allow Church of England bishops, and any other clergy or religious representatives, to stand for election or be eligible for appointment to a reformed Lords but let that be on the same basis as everyone else
E. Promote equality and campaign against privilege in our democratic arrangements
It is vital that a commitment to a reformed House of Lords with no reserved seats or other privileges for clergy is in Labour’s 2015 manifesto.