Petition
Social Justice Minister for England
Please note that the petition has now been closed.
Church Army is dedicated to supporting people dealing with homelessness, addiction, mental health challenges, knife crime and poverty. The current struggles our society is facing, post-pandemic, are hitting the most vulnerable the hardest.
Therefore, we are actively advocating for a Social Justice Minister in government to elevate the voices of underserved communities across England. This role is crucial for ensuring accountability and a commitment from the government to real action in addressing vital societal issues. The Scottish and Welsh governments already have Social Justice Ministers in place.
“At Church Army, we witness firsthand the challenges faced by those in the most overlooked and unseen communities every day,” said Jude Davis, Interim CEO at Church Army. “Appointing a Social Justice Minister would be a significant step forward in addressing these critical issues.”
The Petition
Dear Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Sir Ed Davey,
For nearly 150 years, we at Church Army have been supporting and serving some of our nation’s most excluded and marginalised people.
We currently run over 30 Centres of Mission providing deep support to local communities across our nation. Alongside this we have five key projects working across homelessness, youth intervention and mental health, the sex industry, and chaplaincy to a marginalised constituency living on England’s waterways.
Every day we meet people who are living under an extraordinary burden of poverty and isolation. It’s estimated that more than 1 in 5 people (22%) in the UK are living in poverty*.
For a nation with all the wealth, resources and strength of the United Kingdom we believe we need to create a society which is just and fair. That means a society where no-one is left behind.
That is why we are calling on all parties to pledge the creation of a Minister or Secretary for Social Justice, reflecting the role as it exists in Scotland and Wales. Holding a cross-government remit to ensure we are taking steps in every department and at every level to push us towards becoming a poverty free nation.
Whilst it should be the responsibility of every government department to seek to alleviate poverty, we recognise that a challenge this big needs co-ordinating, hence the desire for a minister or secretary with direct responsibility.
We would, of course, be happy to discuss this further and help shape the direction and objectives of the position.
Yours Sincerely,
Jude Davis, Interim CEO of Church Army and … [your name]
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