Sir Stephen Timms - Faith’s place in Labour’s mission of national renewal

The Labour Government wants to work with faith organisations as it drives forward its programme of national renewal. Sir Stephen Timms MP gave the Religion Media Centre’s annual lecture at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, where he said that the Covid pandemic had shown that “faith groups had the motivation, the resources, the buildings, the people and some cash to step up to help”.
Sir Stephen, who was formerly the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society and is now a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions, said that faith covenants, where local councils commit to work with faith groups, are vital.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recognises the importance of groups and wants to work with them. “Faith groups,” said Sir Stephen, “are known and trusted by their communities. They can reach hard-to-reach groups” but as the government succeeds in its plans for rebuilding society and the economy, he predicted “they will no longer be exhausted filling in for an absent state”.