Parties questioned on social justice by faith-based groups

COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS challenged the leaders of the three main political parties to make commitments on social care, affordable credit, the detention of migrants and the living wage just days before this week’s general election.

Their challenge came as Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband addressed 2,200 people at a Citizens UK meeting in Westminster Central Hall on Monday. Organisers said they were “disappointed” by Conservative leader David Cameron’s failure to attend the gathering despite promising just before the 2010 election that he would be at the 2015 event. He sent senior Tory party politician Sajid Javid to represent him.

Citizens UK, a community body of 350 faith and civil society groups inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, chose to quiz the politicians on four social issues: ending indefinite detention of some would-be immigrants and accepting more refugees; improving social care and conditions for ­carers; establishing a community finance fund using fines levied on banks; and paying the living wage in Whitehall and encouraging ­private-sector employers to do the same.

Mr Miliband said he supported the living wage, currently £7.85 an hour, or £9.15 an hour in London, and both he and Mr Clegg reiterated their parties’ pledges to end indefinite detention at immigration removal centres.

Mr Clegg paid tribute to Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat MP for Brent Central who stood down at Thursday’s election, for her work with refugees and said she was instrumental in securing the ending of child detention. A Catholic, she is now working with the Jesuit Refugee Service.

Westminster auxiliary bishop Nicholas Hudson, who attended the meeting together with the Anglican Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, said : “It was heartening to find people of diverse ages and faiths – including many of our own Catholic community – all focusing together on the most needy of our society.”