General Election 2024

• Reform of Universal Credit to ensure that the basic rate covers the cost of life’s essentials.
• A breathing space period for Universal Credit claimants who have existing debt, along with legal protections from credit action, to allow them time to find a solution.

• A change to homelessness legislation in England so that people sleeping rough are made a priority for local authority emergency and then longer-term housing.
• Regular recording of the number of people who are sleeping rough in cities and regions with high homelessness populations to improve how support services are planned, funded and delivered.
• Increased funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services in line with inflation to meet rising costs and demand.
• An increase in housing stock, especially social housing, to provide enough homes for everyone in need.

• Investment in support services that not only help overcome the addiction but also address the roots causes.
• A Government-funded national programme for overdose antidote Naloxone in England, currently the only UK nation without one.
• NHS emergency departments, mental health Trusts and ambulance services across England and Wales to issue take-home antidote Naloxone to those at risk of opioid overdose.

• Adequate funding of specialist employment support services, that help disadvantaged jobseekers into work.
• A cross-Government taskforce to tackle, with empathy and compassion, the reasons why people are unable to enter the workforce.

Poverty is rarely a choice. Being forced to decide which meal to miss or whether to turn the heating on is not a choice.  

The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has created a new wave of people facing hardship and magnified the engrained disparities between communities across the country. In your own community, you may have noticed or borne witness to increasing pressures on neighbours, friends or loved ones.

Our work to alleviate suffering has provided respite to thousands whether they need food, clothing, a roof over their heads or pastoral support and a listening ear. The Salvation Army is committed to helping people to live life to the full, whether that is physically, emotionally, socially or spiritually

However good our government is or how great their policies are, they cannot do the work of community, love, reconciliation and restoration. However, the next government can ensure that systems and policies are put in place to help those in need.

What is it that you would like to see from your candidates should they be elected? What should your candidates’ priorities be, if they’re elected, to support people to overcome poverty? And what specifically should they be doing locally?

It is no surprise that some of those who come to us for support may do so with a degree of reluctance. Shame and stigma are all too common in our society.

Jesus taught us that “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me”. (Matthew 25:40 NLT). It is a reminder that each of us is created in the image of God and that every person should be valued and respected equally.   

But for every person who reaches out for help, there will be more who persevere and suffer in silence. Often the very systems put in place to help people exacerbate the problems they are supposed to help with. 

We all need to play our part in creating communities where everyone is treated with humanity, dignity can be restored, and opportunities are available to nurture meaningful lives right where we live.

What does it mean to you to live a dignified, meaningful life? Have you observed those in need struggle to get the help they need because of barriers in their way? What needs to be done in your community to restore dignity and treat people with compassion?

You would be forgiven for thinking that in recent years the response to a stranger in need in the UK has lacked compassion.

Media coverage has consistently highlighted negative issues around immigration giving a false picture of the response of many local communities to those seeking sanctuary in the UK. There are many examples of communities coming together to support those in fear for their lives. 

The Salvation Army has a deep history of supporting those fleeing danger and exploitation, whether that be through our Beacon Churches supporting individuals experiencing domestic abuse, our extensive work supporting victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, and our community-led support for refugees and asylum seekers 

What is common amongst all forms of exploitation and abuse is the need to ensure sufficient support is available where and when it is needed. 

A compassionate and timely response will change a life and the lives of those around them. As those seeking to hold public office engage in debate around the lives of others; we urge them to keep in mind the real person facing sometimes unimaginable situations and to do right by them. 

Will the candidates stand up and use their voice for those that have had theirs taken away? Can they support local, community-based work to help refugees and The Salvation Army’s work with survivors of exploitation? 

The Salvation Army was founded at a time when governments failed to take heed of the impact great technological and social change was having on ordinary people. Today our world faces a quagmire of cross-border challenges which will ultimately have a similarly disproportionate impact on those with the least financial security and resources. 

When we read the words of Zechariah 7:9-10 in the Old Testament, we are reminded that “this is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.  Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.  Do not plot evil against each other’”.  

As we tackle common threats such as climate change, we must recognise the inequitable threats this poses to peoples across the world. Bold action and mutual accountability are needed to ensure we all play our part.  

Our leaders must take a global approach to care for creation beyond our own borders and work towards a world without poverty and injustice. We must invest ourselves and commit to the global institutions to help steer a path through our shared endeavours.

Wherever we are in the world, we have a responsibility to safeguard and protect God’s creation for one and another and future generations. 

Is there anything locally that you think can be done to tackle the climate crisis? What priorities do your candidates have to limit the impact of climate change and help us lead more sustainable lives?

Ahead of the general election on 4 July, Captain John Clifton begins a series of reflections about why every vote matters and how faith and politics go hand in hand:

• Helping people live with dignity