1 May 2008 - Election Day
Local council elections will take place on Thursday 1 May throughout Wales and in some parts of England. There will also be elections in London for the Greater London Assembly and Mayor.
Are you planning to vote? The Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church have all said that they strongly encourage church members to vote. Voting enables Christians to have a role in saying what sort of policies and principles are emphasised in public life. For Christians, carefully considering the political options and voting prayerfully is one way of showing care and concern for society.
Christians will not always agree with each other about how to approach political issues - and they will certainly not all vote for the same political party - but we can agree that working for a better society is part of Christian discipleship.
To find out if there are elections in your area this year, visit your local council website, or contact their offices by telephone (the number will be in the Phone Book).
• Wales - all Welsh local councils are having elections for every council seat.
• Durham and Northumberland County Councils are having elections for every council seat.
• All 36 English Metropolitan Boroughs are having elections for one third of council seats
• 19 (out of 46) English Unitary Authorities are having elections for one third of council seats
• 86 (out of 238) English District Councils are having elections for a third, or in a few cases a half, of council seats
What do local councils do?
District Councils are responsible for local planning, housing, local highways, building regulation, environmental health, recreation, cultural matters and rubbish collection. County Councils are responsible for education, social services, transport, strategic planning, fire services, consumer protection, rubbish disposal, libraries and some cultural and recreation issues. Metropolitan Borough Councils and Unitary Authorities have control over all of the above issues. In addition in large urban areas (such as Manchester or Birmingham), and in areas with Unitary Authorities (such as Humberside or Berkshire) some functions, such as fire, policing or transport are exercised through Joint Boards, to which all the relevant local councils appoint members.
Political Extremism
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church have made clear their conviction that the policies of extremist political parties are incompatible with an understanding of God's love for all people. They call on Christians to work actively to counter those who stir up hatred, and reject racist and intolerant political parties. Using your vote is crucial to stop far-right parties from being elected. In local elections the contests can be very close. In the London Assembly the additional member voting system means that a party with no constituency representatives only needs about 5% of the vote to gain a seat. At the last election, in 2004, the BNP were within 0.3% of the vote of winning a seat - so a high turnout of support for the mainstream parties is vital.
When local communities come together they can make a real difference, and can stop racist parties from winning, or even help to kick them out of their strongholds. For example, in Burnley a few years ago there were eight BNP councillors; there are now only four, and one is up for re-election this year.
Activists continue to promote values of hope and respect amongst communities, and to encourage people to reject the politics of discrimination and fear. If far-right parties are active in your area, please think about how you can get involved. If you are a member of a mainstream party, encourage your branch to take the threat seriously and be active in campaigning.
More information is available on the Countering Political Extremism website (see below).
What can I do?

• Please consider using your vote, and telling your friends and colleagues that voting is important.

• Think carefully about which candidate or party most closely represents your views. Listen to your candidates, read their election material, watch party election broadcasts and visit the party
websites so you can make an informed and thoughtful decision.

• If you are concerned that a far-right political party is active in your area, visit the Countering Political Extremism website for information and ideas about what action you can take.
Further Information
Countering Political Extremism (Methodist)
www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentoworld.content&cmid=1828
Social / Political Resources (Baptist Union of Great Britain)
www.baptist.org.uk/resources/social_political.html
"We urge people not to vote for candidates who promote racist policies"
The Methodist Church April 2004
"We believe that the policies and practices of those who promote racism and religious intolerance are incompatible with biblical teaching and our understanding of the nature of God as revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ."
Baptist Union of Great Britain Faith and Unity Executive, April 2007
"We call upon all local churches to continue to practice and promote racial justice and inclusion"
The United Reformed Church Mission Council January 2004
This briefing has been produced by the Joint Public Issues Team April 2008
www.jointpublicissues.org.uk
enquiries [at] jointpublicissues [dot] org [dot] uk