Engaging with elections in Scotland and Wales

Ahead of the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru elections, Chris Hartley encourages people to engage with the democratic process.

Elections for the Scottish Parliament and for the Senedd in Wales will be taking place on Thursday 7 May. For The Salvation Army, elections are an important opportunity to help ensure that the realities faced by the people we support – who are too often overlooked – are heard by those seeking to represent them.

Many responsibilities, such as housing, education, transport and healthcare, are devolved to national governments, so these elections can have a direct impact on the vital support many people depend on. These are the decisions that are often the cause of the struggles we regularly hear about in our corps, services and wider communities – from access to safe accommodation and escaping poverty to the support people need on a daily basis to thrive in their families and communities.

Since its earliest days, The Salvation Army has encouraged people to take part in the democratic process. From supporting the struggle for women’s suffrage to advocating for fairer representation, Salvationists have helped open doors for more voices to be heard. This work continues today. For example, during all elections we work with local corps and services to ensure that those entitled to vote are able to do so through our voter registration campaigns.

Christians, just like everyone else, will each make a personal choice about who to support at the ballot box, but at the heart of our faith is the conviction that every person has God-given value. When we vote, we stand with our neighbours and actively accept the responsibilities of being a citizen by seeking good for them and for our communities, but we all share a commitment to justice, compassion and truth – and fairly consider all candidates based on these values.

The Salvation Army does not endorse any political parties or candidates. Our work during an election focuses on enabling everyone to participate and encouraging respectful, informed discussion. This could mean helping someone register to vote, creating a welcome space for local candidates, or even offering practical support to our neighbours by driving them to their polling station. These small actions are all expressions of our love for God and for others, and of our mission priority to seek justice and reconciliation.

To help corps, services and supporters who wish to take part in the elections, the Public Affairs Unit has produced resource packs for Scotland and Wales, tailored to each nation’s different electoral processes. The resources include explanations of key terms and guidance on registering to vote and organising a hustings, as well as Scottish and Welsh information on elections. The resources are optional and are intended to sit alongside your existing mission and local expressions of faith. Our team can also answer questions and will be running training sessions for anyone interested in welcoming candidates and politicians to their corps or service centre.

These elections matter because they will shape the political leadership of the Scottish and Welsh governments and their parliaments, which then influence decisions that affect everyday life in communities across these nations. However you wish to engage with the elections, taking part in the democratic process is an expression of our Christian faith.

• To request a Scottish or Welsh election pack or to find out more about training sessions, email public.affairs@salvationarmy.org.uk.

Reflect and respond

• Register to vote in the Scottish Parliament or Senedd Cymru elections at gov.uk/register-tovote by 20 April.
• Read through the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13. How does praying ‘on Earth as it is in Heaven’ impact the way you think about politics?
• To request a Scottish or Welsh election pack or to find out more about training sessions, email public.affairs@salvationarmy.org.uk.