Starmer praises faiths for promoting ‘community over division’ in Easter greeting

The policy paper ‘Protecting What Matters’, released in March, announced new measures to support social cohesion in a multifaith and multicultural society, including a commitment to ‘celebrating faith and belief communities’. 

In his Easter message, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the “quiet and tireless” ways in which churches and Christian communities “support families, children and neighbours – offering comfort, bringing people together, and standing alongside those who need it most”.

“It is precisely that spirit of service which exemplifies national renewal, and reflects the very heart of Christ’s example,” he said. “Easter is a celebration of hope, new life and renewal.”

Starmer, who is not himself religious, reaffirmed the government’s plan to “partner with churches, alongside other faith and belief groups, to strengthen and transform local communities through programmes such as Pride in Place and Best Start Family Hubs, among others”.

This follows announcements of government plans to collaborate with churches on issues such as child poverty and mental health.

It was announced at the ChurchWorks Summit in February that churches would partner with the Department of Education and Department of Health and Social Care’s Best Start Family Hubs, community-based centres which support new parents, and also be involved in the government’s Child Poverty Strategy.

It was also revealed that a strategic faith lead would be appointed at the National Academy of Social Prescribing, a charity supported by the NHS that promotes social prescribing, a healthcare approach which connects individuals to community-based activities and services to improve their health and wellbeing.

Starmer also referred to Pride in Place, a government scheme to allocate funding for local communities to spend on what matters most to them, such as improvements to pavements and high streets or investing in culture and green spaces.

These priorities are discerned by a neighbourhood board, made up of residents, faith leaders, local businesses, grassroots campaigners, workplace representatives, and community organisations.

 “For generations, churches have been rooted in their neighbourhoods, working to combat poverty, fear and isolation,” Starmer said. “This Easter comes at a time of real anxiety for many people.

“Conflicts abroad, pressures at home, and uncertainty about the future weigh heavily on families and households. In moments like these, faith offers reassurance and grounding – a reminder that we are not alone, and that hope can still take root even in difficult soil.”

Starmer also reaffirmed the importance of working “across faiths and differences” in “times when some seek to divide”, to “build a country that is more resilient, inclusive and connected”.

The policy paper “Protecting What Matters”, released in March, announced new measures to support social cohesion in a multifaith and multicultural society, including a commitment to “celebrating faith and belief communities”. 

The government said it would “work closely with faith and belief communities, expand Inter Faith Week, boost faith and belief literacy in government and wider society, and strengthen the role of religious education, protect religious heritage buildings, and champion freedom of religion or belief through diplomatic partnerships to promote tolerance and protect minorities”.

In his Passover message to the Jewish community on 31 March, Starmer paid tribute to the “courage and spirit of the Jewish community”. He said that “Passover evokes the core values of freedom, faith and hope”, which are “ever more poignant following the abhorrent antisemitic attack in Golders Green”.

He also praised the “generosity, service and compassion” shown by the Muslim community in Ramadan in his message for Eid-al-Fitr, and said he was “committed to defeating the forces of division in our country”, including by “taking an active stand against anti-Muslim hostility”.

Starmer’s Easter message concluded, “Our country is at its best when we choose community over division, kindness over indifference, and service over self‑interest.

“I thank everyone who gives their time through churches and Christian charities, and wish Christians across the UK and around the world a very happy Easter filled with peace, hope and the promise of new life.”

A welcome defence of diversity and freedom

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