Catholics in Britain are being urged by their Church's leaders to "get involved and vote” when general elections are held for the UK Parliament on 4 July 2024, after the UK prime minister surprised many by calling what amounts to a snap election.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the election last week, with his Conservative Party looking like it will fall to the Labour Party following 14 years in power. Most had expected the election to be called for some time in autumn. The earlier than expected date is deemed by most a tactical move by the prime minister to either bolster his party’s chances of clinging on to power, or limiting the damage if it loses.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has announced that the opportunity to vote in a general election is a “privilege”. At the same time, Nichols said voters want to know what their candidates will think and say on their behalf when they get into Parliament.
“I would like to put forward a theme for us all to think about. How do we seek to construct a society in which families can flourish? That’s the bedrock – many positive things flow from that,” the cardinal said.
In a <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/english-and-welsh-bishops-urge-catholics-to-focus-on-common-good-at-general-election/?swcfpc=1"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">statement released after the prime minister’s announcement</mark></a>, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales noted that during the 6-week election season, Catholics will be “seeking answers which will help the poor, the marginalised, and the vulnerable”.
Noting that Christians can have a different way of looking at politics, the bishops listed <a href="https://www.cbcew.org.uk/election24/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">various major areas people should be looking at before they vote</mark></a>: Criminal Justice; domestic poverty, family life and taxation; education; environment; international relations, human rights and peace building; life issues and migration.
“I ask you to look at these resources, explore them, become a bit more familiar with them so that when it comes to 4 July, you’ve got in your mind what you want to see the next government strive to achieve,” Nichols said. “My view is that our next government should strive to create the circumstances in which families can flourish. So please get ready to vote on 4 July."
The cardinal also made a special appeal to young adults to be "willing to get involved and vote". <br><br>Other voices from within the bishops' conference have said that this is a crucial election in which <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/englands-christian-inheritance-at-stake-in-uk-general-election/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">England's Christian inheritance may be on the line</mark></a>. <br><br><em>Photo: Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launches the Conservative campaign during a speech to supporters on 1 June 2024, Redcar, England. Since announcing that the UK General Election will be held on 4 July, Rishi Sunak has begun visiting key battleground regions across the UK. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty images.)</em>
Catholics in Britain are being urged by their Church's leaders to "get involved and vote” when general elections are held for the UK Parliament on 4 July 2024, after the UK prime minister surprised many by calling what amounts to a snap election.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the election last week, with his Conservative Party looking like it will fall to the Labour Party following 14 years in power. Most had expected the election to be called for some time in autumn. The earlier than expected date is deemed by most a tactical move by the prime minister to either bolster his party’s chances of clinging on to power, or limiting the damage if it loses.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has announced that the opportunity to vote in a general election is a “privilege”. At the same time, Nichols said voters want to know what their candidates will think and say on their behalf when they get into Parliament.
“I would like to put forward a theme for us all to think about. How do we seek to construct a society in which families can flourish? That’s the bedrock – many positive things flow from that,” the cardinal said.
In a <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/english-and-welsh-bishops-urge-catholics-to-focus-on-common-good-at-general-election/?swcfpc=1"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">statement released after the prime minister’s announcement</mark></a>, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales noted that during the 6-week election season, Catholics will be “seeking answers which will help the poor, the marginalised, and the vulnerable”.
Noting that Christians can have a different way of looking at politics, the bishops listed <a href="https://www.cbcew.org.uk/election24/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">various major areas people should be looking at before they vote</mark></a>: Criminal Justice; domestic poverty, family life and taxation; education; environment; international relations, human rights and peace building; life issues and migration.
“I ask you to look at these resources, explore them, become a bit more familiar with them so that when it comes to 4 July, you’ve got in your mind what you want to see the next government strive to achieve,” Nichols said. “My view is that our next government should strive to create the circumstances in which families can flourish. So please get ready to vote on 4 July."
The cardinal also made a special appeal to young adults to be "willing to get involved and vote". <br><br>Other voices from within the bishops' conference have said that this is a crucial election in which <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/englands-christian-inheritance-at-stake-in-uk-general-election/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">England's Christian inheritance may be on the line</mark></a>. <br><br><em>Photo: Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launches the Conservative campaign during a speech to supporters on 1 June 2024, Redcar, England. Since announcing that the UK General Election will be held on 4 July, Rishi Sunak has begun visiting key battleground regions across the UK. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty images.)</em>
