I always try to keep a sense of balance on my blog (which probably annoys some of my friends who wish I would assert a view on assorted topics). Today I spotted this 'open letter' to the Prime Minister on social media. It is written by a URC minister I trained alongside. I know something of his story - like me he has working class roots, like me he now serves a midlde class church where some people have strong, vocalised, opinions and others stay silent in their dissent. I like Mike, he's a good egg. We don't agree on everything, and as I haven't seen or spoken to him on over a decade who knows if we'd still get along. This careful, open letter to the PM is worth sharing, and I'd love it to find its way to a wider audience - even the PM himself. I've copied the text from the facebook page of Revd Mike Walsh URC minister at Chorlton Central Church, Manchester. Feel free to copy and share if you think it's helpful...
Dear Prime Minister,
I don't know if you will ever read this, but I have some things I wish to say to you.
You have won the General Election and command a majority in the House of Commons, and as such will feel you have a legitimate mandate to govern. However, you must also know that you don't command a majority of the British people.
Although our political views are very much at odds on many issues, I'm willing to believe that you are a good man, as sure of your ideals as I am of mine, and believe your plan is what's best for us all. You said today that you will govern for the whole country and bring back together that which has clearly fractured. I hope you will.
But Prime Minister, though you can obviously see your party did not win the confidence of Scotland and huge swathes of the north of England, I'm not sure your party quite understands why. It's not because we're all 'loony-left' or extremists and nationalists, it's because so many of us are scared. Scared of what your policies will do to our communities and families. Scared of what will happen to our health service and our schools. Scared of losing our family homes for the sake of a few quid saving from the bedroom tax, or not being able to heat our home and have enough left to buy food.
I don't disagree with you that the best way out of poverty is to work, nor do I think that people should get something for nothing and expect the the tax-payer to support people indefinitely if they are able to work. Who would think that that was ok and fair?
But your party's policies on these issues, couched in terms of reducing the deficit and balancing the books, don't seem to take into account the social and human cost of such actions. The country isn't a business, it's its people. All its people. And you are everyone's Prime Minister whether we voted for you or not.
You said today you will govern for everyone and unite the country. I hope you do. But to be able to do so you need to make it a priority in your first 100 days, to spend time in Scotland visiting people on zero hours contracts. Come to Manchester and talk with those who have been sanctioned for having a spare room, but have nowhere else to go. Go to Liverpool and meet people with disabled dependents who can't afford even one nanny, or to Newcastle and talk to people still living in poverty due to the demise of the coal industry. Spend a week or two living on the minimum wage, or volunteer in a food bank for a whole day.
Then Prime Minister you might begin to understand the cost of your policies from the other side, to see people as more than their net contribution to the economy, or as deliberate drains on the system. If you do that, then maybe you can heal some of the fractures in our society. Without this I just don't believe you can see just how crucial these issues are.
So please Prime Minister, leave Westminster for a few hours a week and truly strive to govern for all of us.
Rev'd Mike Walsh
The United Reformed Church
Comments
I am retired living in Glasgow and worked all my days as I believed when you left school this was the right thing to do, it is difficult for people to get jobs now and this is a big concern for me, I am fortunate that I can put an item in the foodbank at the supermarket when I do my shopping but feel for genuine people who have to use them.
I am retired living in Glasgow and worked all my days as I believed when you left school this was the right thing to do, it is difficult for people to get jobs now and this is a big concern for me, I am fortunate that I can put an item in the foodbank at the supermarket when I do my shopping but feel for genuine people who have to use them.