'A real opportunity for Quakers to share their priorities and values with other voters.’
Meeting for Sufferings: Election preparation session
‘It is important that we engage with all the main candidates as human beings, and try to find common ground.’ Grace Da Costa, BYM’s public affairs and media manager.
Timely Meeting
More than fifty-five Friends gathered online on 22 May for a Meeting for Sufferings (MfS) preparation advocacy session about the upcoming general election.
The session was clerked by Elizabeth Allen, assistant clerk for MfS, who started the Meeting by saying how ‘amazing’ and ‘timely’ it was that the Meeting should come on the day that the prime minister Rishi Sunak announced there would be a general election on 4 July.
It was also a ‘special Meeting’, she said, as MfS had been encouraged to experiment with the way it works. Friends who were not appointed Area Meeting representatives were welcome to attend.
‘We realised that the subject matter… was of very wide interest, far beyond the interest of MfS representatives, so wanted to widen the availability,’ she said.
BYM overview
After a short period of worship, Grace Da Costa, Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM)’s public affairs and media manager, gave a brief overview of BYM’s political advocacy work.
This involves meeting with parliamentarians, sending written briefs, and meeting with like-minded charities on Quaker-discerned priorities such as: climate justice; truth and integrity; and the general election.
It was important to focus on two or three areas where ‘they can be most effective and Quakers can make a difference where other organisations can’t,’ said Grace.
In Scotland, there is the opportunity to focus on a broader range of topics, with Sarah Komashko, parliamentary engagement officer for Quakers in Scotland, working on peace, land reform and climate justice.
A key focus in recent years, Grace went on, has been in protecting human rights and civil liberties, particularly briefing and campaigning against the anti-boycott bill, which BYM is hoping might be sidelined now that an election has been announced. BYM’s work on truth and integrity has involved bringing MPs together over the last two years in quiet diplomacy. ‘It’s painstaking work, but I think we’re making good progress,’ said Grace.
For climate justice, the team has been focusing on a just transition to a zero carbon economy, with a particular emphasis on insurance, fossil fuels, and supporting the Make Polluters Pay campaign for a loss and damage fund.
Grace then spoke about the upcoming general election. ‘We knew a July election was a possibility,’ she said, ‘but we were working on the assumption it would be October and November, so we’re having to scramble.’ Nonetheless, it was ‘a real opportunity for Quakers to share their priorities and values with other voters’. The team is focusing on Labour, as ‘polls show they are almost certain to win, so we’re trying to work with them so they are ready to go’.
The team has three aims, she said: first, to influence party policies in line with Quaker priorities: human rights; truth and integrity; and climate justice. ‘Secondly, we want to influence candidates at national and local level.’ This involves ‘sending a briefing to all candidates and key potential allies, and locally encouraging Friends to contact local candidates to do more about the issues we care about’.
The third aim is to encourage Quakers and voters to take part – and vote – in the election and have the right ID. For this, they could sign up to be Voter Registration Champions, as BYM and some Local Meetings (LM)s have done.
The four priorities for Quakers to focus on, and highlight with their local communities, are: democracy; climate justice; peace and peace education; and migration. Friends can also download an election pack, which includes a greeting card to send to local MPs, which LMs can order a fixed number of. ‘We encourage you to move as quickly as possible,’ said Grace. ‘Don’t wait for Meeting for Business, if that’s some weeks away.’
Ways that Quakers can get involved include: encouraging people to register to vote; holding hustings; contacting local parliamentary candidates; and running local activities.
Friends respond
Friends then shared ideas about how they could get involved.
One Quaker started by suggesting that the general election pack be made available for MfS representatives attending in person on 1 June, to which Grace agreed and said she would check whether it was possible. Another Friend asked about the best way to secure a meeting with a candidate – ‘a hustings with other churches, perhaps, or a one-to-one with Quaker Meeting members… I’m imagining that they’re very busy’.
‘Trying to do both is good,’ said Grace. But specifically with Quakers is helpful. ‘Our greeting cards are a really nice visually-appealing thing to put in front of them. Also tailoring your approach to them and their interests… and showing them it’s an opportunity for them to meet their constituents.’
One Friend asked how overtly-political they can be in the election period. Grace directed them to BYM’s webpage on ‘Guidance for Quaker communities on charity and election law’.
Another Quaker asked for advice on encouraging Friends to share that they are registered to vote. As a Voter Registration Champion LM, he had to record that ninety members were registered, but so far only forty per cent had replied. Grace suggested a Sunday ‘election day’, where there is a table to register voters, or to record that people are registered. ‘The next step for Quaker Meetings is to try and engage other members of the community,’ she said.
Friends also discussed the importance of looking beyond the general election to the early years of the next administration. ‘If it’s a new government, it might be a time when it is quite fluid,’ suggested one Quaker.
Grace agreed, and said that while Friends could initially share one concern they’re passionate about, as the relationship with the MP develops, they can gradually raise more issues over the first term.
Local preparations
For the next part of the session, Friends shared their local election preparations, or actions that had worked in the past. A Saffron Walden Friend described how they held a ‘very effective’ husting in a local Baptist church that seated 200.
One Friend said that at a previous husting, she had asked each candidate what informed their morality, which generated some ‘leftfield’ responses. They didn’t have ‘a pat answer’, she said.
With a likely change in compositions of MPs, there could be ‘an increased divide between MPs, and more polarisation’, raised another representative, reminding us of the many pressures affecting MP’s mental health. ‘I think the real work is going to start after the election,’ he said. ‘We need to find ways of getting through to those candidates that are supportive… but finding ways of saying “we are disappointed in you” in a way that they might listen to,’ he added.
Another Friend said that they were ‘concerned that the word “equality” hasn’t come up at all in this Meeting. It’s a root problem… I hope when people work locally, we don’t forget equality in our priorities’.
Grace ended the session by encouraging Friends to look at BYM’s election webpage and building relationships with candidates that will last. ‘I think it is important that we engage with all the main candidates as human beings, and try to find common ground,’ she said, so we can be a ‘supportive influence, and critical friend’.
Useful links
Quakers in Britain general election information, materials and order form: www.quaker.org.uk/vote.
Joint churches’ hustings guide and other resources: www.churcheselection.org.uk (resources section).
Guidance for Quaker communities on charity and election law: www.quaker.org.uk/documents/guidance-for-quakers-uk-general-election-2024.
Citizens UK Voter Registration Champion scheme: www.voterchampion.org.uk.
Quakers in Britain public affairs team email: politics@quaker.org.uk.
Parties with current MPs
www.albaparty.org
www.allianceparty.org
www.conservatives.com
www.mydup.com
www.greenparty.org.uk
www.labour.org.uk
www.libdems.org.uk
www.partyof.wales
www.reformparty.uk
www.sdlp.ie
www.sinnfein.ie
www.snp.org
www.workerspartybritain.org
