Rachael Maskell MP was suspended from the Labour Party after opposing the Welfare Reform Bill, which she said would introduce “Dickensian cuts belonging to a different era and a different party”. She does not regret standing up for poor and the marginalised, she says. It’s what Jesus would do
Over the last few weeks, I have had to dig deep to understand why, in speaking truth to power, I have found myself suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party.
But things happen for a reason.
Over the last decade, there have been many times in Parliament when I have had to speak to my whips about the lines I feel unable to cross. And I am sure that this will not be the last.
Weighing the evidence
When approaching the decisions that I make as an MP, I weigh the evidence and listen to the lived experience of my constituents. I consider the impact, question my conscience, my faith and my Party, before deciding how I should respond.
I have just chaired the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast - themed ‘God in the public square?’ - and, as a Christian, I have long been interested in asking how I should approach the most difficult decisions.
Matthew’s gospel calls us to care for the hungry, thirsty, unclothed and unsheltered. These verses came to me from multiple sources and pressed heavy on my heart, I knew I must act “for the least of these” (Matthew 25:40).
Politics is far more than a transactional process
Constituents already living with disabilities or health challenges told me that being stripped of vital funds - which barely allow them to pay their way now - would be a step too far. Less severe cuts under the last government resulted in 600 people taking their lives. I could not “pass by on the other side” (Luke 10:31).
I had no choice but to seek to protect the most vulnerable. After all, the Labour Party was founded by those subjugated by a society in which there was no-one to speak for the poor. They instituted policies of protection, including a welfare state.
A broken system
I met with ministers and the Secretary of State to plead their cause. Concessions were made, but they were not sufficient to protect the most vulnerable, especially those with mental health challenges. The act of seeking truth was met with suspension from the Party.
I believe things must change. It is clear that the political system is failing, particularly for those who have the least agency. It is rooted in inequality and injustice that has been passed down through the generations.
Last year, Labour inherited a society where 14.3m people live in poverty. The numbers have since increased to 14.5m, including 4.5m children. We know that inequitable societies also have the worst social outcomes, placing heavy burdens on our economy. The UK is only second to the US in this. Economically, politically, socially – things have to change.
Unusually, the Welfare Reform Bill received no pre-legislative consultation, which should be a safeguard against errors being made. As the Bill continued to unravel, it was clear that this could have been avoided had the process been different. I hope it will be in future.
What is Westminster for?
However, there is something more fundamental that I am working through: the purpose of politics. Westminster is more than a management company seeking to order a society, where rules are established only for the next administrator to untangle and rewrite them. It is more than a social experiment where ideology determines how we should live. It should most certainly be more than a place where opposing parties collide.
The Labour Party was founded in a society in which there was no-one to speak for the poor
Politics is far more than a transactional process, and the public are screaming to make this clear. They are looking for their lead in other places and we know that this will not end well. Many are in very dark places. We must bring light and hope, compassion and kindness, restoring full dignity to people.
Ultimately, we know that such light and hope is rooted in the gospel of Christ.
It is here where there can be redemption and renewal. It is on this truth that the whole of society will pivot. This is a moment in our political life where we must seek to restore the heart of God to the heart of our politics. So that we can know both the grace and mercy of God over our nation again.
