general election – Labour Humanists

We’ve written to all Labour parliamentary candidates ahead of the General Election, asking them 10 questions on topics such as education, human rights and constitutional reform. Now’s your chance to question your local candidates.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has set up a an easy way for you to email your local candidates of all parties, to ask them about the issues that matter to you. You can write your own email, use the BHA’s suggested information, or feel free to use some or all of our questions. We’re really interested in any response you get from your Labour candidate – do consider sharing it with us.

If you are an activist or running for Parliament yourself, we send you the very best wishes and we look forward to working with a Labour Government after 7 May.

We are writing to Labour parliamentary candidates ahead of the General Election, asking them to answer 10 questions (below).

This is to give our members and the wider Labour electorate more information about their Labour candidates and their perspectives on some issues that matter to them, such as education, human rights and constitutional reform.

If you have been in touch with your Labour candidate yourself about issues such as faith schools, do consider sharing that information with us.

Candidate survey, General Election 2015

Do you support fully inclusive admissions with no religious selection in all state-funded schools, including faith schools?
Do you support the teaching of non-religious world views such as Humanism equally alongside religious perspectives in schools?
Would you support moves to prevent state-funded faith schools from hiring and firing otherwise qualified teachers on religious grounds?
Would you support legislation to ensure that humanists in England and Wales will be able to have a legal marriage ceremony that reflects their own beliefs conducted by a celebrant who also shares them? (Humanist marriage has been legally recognised in Scotland since 2005).
Do you support an end to having reserved seats for Church of England Bishops in the House of Lords?
Should Labour defend freedoms of thought, expression and belief at home and internationally, including through opposing blasphemy laws?
Do you think public services should be equal, inclusive, and protect and promote human rights, including when they are provided by religious groups working under public contract?
Would you support a change in the law to permit assisted dying for people who are terminally ill or who are permanently and incurably suffering, who have who have made a clear decision, free from coercion, to end their lives and who are physically unable to do so themselves?
Do you believe the NHS should fund unproven alternative “treatments” such as homeopathy?
Following the General Election, would you consider joining the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group?