A good society? General election 2019 hustings. (hosted by Dialstone Lane Methodist Church)

Dialstone Lane Methodist Church with be inviting candidates for the 2019 General Election, to share with us their record of action towards, and future vision for a Good Society. On the boundary between 3 constituencies, this event encompasses Hazel Grove, Stockport and Cheadle constituencies. This is a General Election hustings. In these volatile political times, it is important that those with, or intending to seek, political power, are called to account to the people they serve.

2020 Vision: Are we nearly there yet?

Just before the 2015 General election, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland invited UK Churches to get together with their local communities to have conversations about “What makes a good society?” One such conversation was at Dialstone Lane.

From these conversations they produced the ‘2020 Vision of the Good Society’ statement. This was borne out of a common desire to see a society that works for all – in which each of us are valued and which respects the Earth. In short – a society for the common good. The idea was that elected representatives and communities should then work together to actualise this vision, with a target of achieving it by 2020. This is the statement:-

“All citizens have access to enough income to enable them to live with dignity, either through paid work or through a properly functioning welfare safety net.
Reasonably priced homes where people can flourish are available for everyone who needs them and there is a reliable safety net for all homeless people.

All children and young people are enabled to live fulfilling flourishing lives, their contributions are valued, and they are enabled to grow and achieve their potential.

An economy that is in service to every person irrespective of their wealth or the market value of their labour; including robust action to clamp down on tax dodging.
UK greenhouse gas emissions are falling rapidly, and the Government has helped to secure a global climate deal that limits global temperature rises to 2 degrees.”

During our conversation at Dialstone Lane people supported this statement and wanted to add something about a flourishing, well funded NHS that meets peoples’ needs.

We will be inviting our guests to reflect on their own, and their political party’s, achievements since 2015. What have they done or tried to do to meet these objectives? With just a month to go until 2020, are we nearly there? If not, why not?

Future Visions: We will also invite our guests to reflect on what they intend to do, during the next 5 years, to build a good society? What would they hope to achieve, and how do they intend to go about it?

Questions: Members of the public will be invited to submit questions. What issues concerning a Good Society would you like our MPs and prospective candidates to address? Come along and ask your questions and/or listen to others.

Marketplace and conversation: There will be an opportunity before the meeting, and in the coffee break, to talk informally with others. There will also be a “marketplace” , where political parties and organisations seeking a good society (such as Friends of the Earth or Stockport for Peace) will be able to share leaflets etc. This is not a commercial marketplace, although the sale of small items such as badges is permitted. Please contact the organisers if you would like to have a stall. The ethos of your organisation, and any literature distributed, must not be in conflict with the values of our church, for example, nothing racist, sexist or homophobic, or using aggressive or inflammatory language.

What about you? Building a good society is not just a job for politicians. It is a task for all of us. There will be an opportunity for you to share your ideas about a Good Society. In the past we have used post it notes or luggage labels and shared these via social media and in church. Please come and take part.

Together we can build a good society

William Wragg, Conservative Candidate for Hazel Grove, and Lisa Smart, the Liberal Democrat candidate , have agreed to attend. The Labour Party will be represented either by Nav Mishra, who is the Stockport candidate, or another representative from the Hazel Grove constituency. The Green Party will send a representative- name to be confirmed. Unfortunately Ann Coffey is unable to join us on this occasion.

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