I’m a Christian and I’ll be voting Labour

As a Christian, and someone who has described themselves in the past as a Christian socialist, I’ve been thinking about the division and the rancour that has dominated our politics over the last few years. I’m thinking about certain politicians who are in the government who have pushed that division. I’m thinking of Boris Johnson partying, when others were making such sacrifices in the face of the pandemic. I’m thinking of the recklessness of Liz Truss with people’s home finances, and the mortgage bills that people have to pay.

For all of those reasons, I hope that people will vote for change. I hope they’ll vote for stability. And I hope they’ll vote for a politics which “treads lightly” on people’s lives. That’s how Keir Starmer describes it. And I think that chimes with those who have a Christian faith.

I recognise that there are people of faith and Christians across all political parties. But I think this particular election is a chance to look back on the last 14 years and reflect on the change that Labour offers.

I’m a Christian who has always felt very at home in the Labour Party. I’m at home with an understanding of Jesus Christ who turned over the tables, who believed powerfully in a sense of social justice and mission. 

My Christian faith guides me and it absolutely will be important to me, if I have the privilege of serving as our Foreign Secretary

It was my Christian faith that caused me to stand up and call out the scandal of the Windrush generation. It was my Christian faith that led me to speak up for those who had lost their lives in Grenfell Tower. It was my Christian faith that led me to speak truth to power for those that were rioting back in 2011, and causing mayhem in our streets, but also to stand up for those who felt on the receiving end of injustice.

My Christian faith guides me and it absolutely will be important to me, if I have the privilege of serving as our Foreign Secretary. In that role you sit with people of different faiths or no faith and you’re required to listen. And there’s something about the humility that you must bring, when you listen to what people have to say.

In this period of 14 years of Conservative government there has been poor behaviour and lower standards. There has been scandal after scandal after scandal. And my sense is that people are sick of it and they want it to stop and the only way we’re going to get a stop is with a change of government.

Labour’s desire is to have more teachers in our schools and to support young people. Our desire is to do more in the National Health Service to reduce the waiting times for people at their most vulnerable. There is more and better that we can do. Only a change can bring that about and that change for me is the Labour Party.

David Lammy MP was speaking to Premier’s Kelly Valencia. Hear the full interview now on premier.plus