This week's local elections: 'A mixed bag'

Christian Concern's Head of Operations David Lindsay reports and comments on the results of this week's local elections across the UK, the implications of the results for us as Christians, and how we can respond.

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Overall - a mixed result. Labour did well to win in London, with Sadiq Khan defeating Zac Goldsmith in the contest for Mayor by 13.6%, thereby becoming the most high-profile Muslim leader in the West. In the English council elections, Labour did not fare as badly as some had predicted, but certainly did not do as well as they need to, to pave the way for electoral success in 2020. There was relatively little change in control between councils, with both Conservatives and Labour losing a few councillors and the Lib Dems and UKIP winning roughly the same number. While the Conservatives (and Labour, too) incurred modest losses in their total number of councillors, they did better than governments tend to do in elections at this time in the electoral cycle. In Scotland, the SNP replicated its success of the 2015 general election, but was just short of an overall majority. Labour incurred huge losses in Scotland - part of their erstwhile heartlands - and is the third largest party, behind the Conservatives, now the official opposition. In Wales, Labour has just clung on to power as the largest single party, but is just short of an overall majority. What is new in Wales is the presence of 7 UKIP members of the assembly, with UKIP taking votes from both Labour and the Conservatives, including strong results in traditionally strong Labour areas. In Ulster, the DUP remain the largest party, clearing he 30 seats require to veto legislation its members oppose. Unless there is external pressure, there will be no changes to the status quo with regard to either same sex marriage or abortion.

So what will this mean from a Christian perspective? Labour undoubtedly lost support as a result of the ongoing row about anti-Semitism. Quite what Jeremy Corbyn and his leadership team will do with those candidates who have expressed such views, as well as the issues raised, remains to be seen, but ugly and evil though it is, it is indicative of the increased secularisation of the country, as well as the rise of the importance of the Muslim demographic in the electorate. Tim Dieppe has written about Sadiq Khan, as has Standpoint, but time will tell how his Mayoralty will affect the public square as well as planning, the police and transport –his key areas of responsibility. Will he strive for a "level playing field", a concept which Boris Johnson, with his pulling the Core Issues Trust advertisements after the Stonewall bus advertisements never really seemed to understand? At a time of increased tensions between people of different world views and religions and also of discrimination against Christians, how will he frame London to the world? If there is a terrorist outrage committed by British Muslims, will Khan be harder on radical mosques - or at addressing their grievances, (while ignoring the identical grievances of other communities who live in similar circumstances)?

The failure of the SNP to win an overall majority effectively prevents another referendum on Scottish independence for the foreseeable future, and will make its "named individual" policy much more difficult to implement, unless there are concessions. In Wales, it will be interesting to see the effect of 7 UKIP members of the Welsh Assembly, and how they use their power - or don’t. In councils across the country, it will be interesting to see how they manage to deliver more services with less central government money. How will they maximise the contribution of many volunteers from many churches, who help in many and unseen ways - something highlighted by Fiona Bruce MP in Parliament on Thursday 5 May? Will councillors, members of the Assemblies and MSPs work to prevent the excesses (and not just the excesses) of political correctness, so much of which manifests in education, in parts of social policy and in the NHS? And will those who are Christian of whatever party, stand up for Jesus in the public square, in favour of a level playing field?

Earlier this week, we wrote asking you to pray for these elections. Too often, Christians do pray for the outcome of the elections, and wonder why things seem in many ways to get worse by the time of the next election. We need to find our voice in the public square. We need to hold our elected representatives to account, just as they need to keep their respective governments and administrations, to account. We need to encourage them to do good and to resist evil. We, God’s people, are to witness to our politicians and encourage them to do good. We need to show them God's love and demonstrate God, not argue God.

Elections, especially with new administrations an governments, are an occasion for renewed hope, so let us pray accordingly. Let us - and particularly those who live in London - pray for Sadiq Khan, as newly elected Mayor, and his incoming team of advisers. Let us pray all regularly for our councillors, members of the Assemblies as well as MPs and Peers, irrespective of whether they are "our" party or not and irrespective of their faith or otherwise, throughout the time of their office. And let us pray, too, for those who work in the Town Halls, Assemblies and Parliament, as well as the Civil Service and NHS, with exactly the same commitment.

Let us be unashamed of the gospel.