By Rev Callum Macleod
Rev Callum Macleod, Moderator, and Rev Stephen Allison, Public Engagement Coordinator, attended a Scottish Labour Party Interfaith Breakfast last Friday at the invitation of Anas Sarwar, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. The event was held in the Ferguson Room at the University of Glasgow on University Avenue. Representatives of all the faith communities across Scotland were in attendance.
All in all, the meeting was a time of encouragement, and we pray that the event was the first step in building a platform for the voice of the Church to be heard in the policy making at Holyrood.
Paul O’Kane, MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Social Security and Equalities, welcomed everyone to the meeting, after which he introduced the main speakers, Anas Sarwar, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, and Lord Khan of Burnley, Minister for Faith, Communities, and Resettlement in the UK Government.
Anas Sarwar spoke of the trend in recent times towards the view that the faith communities have nothing to contribute to the political process in Scotland. He stated that this perspective of the faith communities was wrong in his opinion, and that the purpose of the day’s meeting was to enter into dialogue with the faith communities as a reflection of the Scottish Labour Party’s commitment to engage with the faith communities and to establish an ongoing conversation through which the faith communities would be invited to contribute to the political process.
Lord Khan spoke in a similar vein from his experience as Minister for Faith, Communities, and Resettlement. Lord Khan spoke of his desire to see the work of Minister for Faith, Communities, and Resettlement in the UK Government being replicated in Scotland and to see a network of engagement with the faith communities as set out by Anas Sarwar.
The addresses were followed by a question-and-answer time when both Mr Sarwar and Lord Khan responded to matters raised from the floor. The formal part of the meeting concluded with Mr Sarwar giving an assurance that the Scottish Labour Party will build on the day’s meeting by establishing a forum and protocols through which the voice of the faith communities is heard in the Party’s policy-making process. There was an opportunity at the close of the meeting to network and have conversation with representatives of the Scottish Labour Party and others.