London for All

Tonight we’re joining the London Citizens Assembly, organised by London Citizens (Citizens UK) to present our manifesto for change to the Labour and Conservative candidates for London Mayor. It is a moment which thousands of London citizens have been building up to. Citizens UK is made up of hundreds of member organisations who have democratically agreed 5 priority areas for change that we want to see the next London Mayor commit to address.

As a Church we are a member of Barking Dagenham Citizens and this is our first assembly – which is super exciting! In pre-Covid times the assembly has been hosted at the Copperbox in Stratford with a turnout of 10,000, tonight we’ll join online but the stories will be just as powerful and the hunger for justice undiluted. A manifesto for change has been produced because we are concerned by housing, low wages, treatment of migrants, climate change, safety and tackling violence affecting our young people on our streets. These are 5 key areas for change and tonight will see these come to life with real stories from those who have experienced the struggles themselves.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with our sisters and brothers across the Citizens network as we seek commitments to see real change. It’s not enough to count these as someone else’s problem, we are neighbours and if we see anything from Jesus’ example, it is the importance of loving our neighbours. Love looks like something and tonight it looks like gathering with thousands of others who share our concerns and want to act for positive change. This is a grass roots movement that is influencing the top.

Look out for a follow up post that will share all the goings on and highlights from the night. We’re looking forward to powerful testimony and are intrigued to see how the candidates will respond. This is all part of our ongoing journey for a more just society where everyone has a place to thrive.