UK politics: year in review

As the body of Christ our collective purpose is to be Jesus’ hands and feet to the world, both in social action and in proclamation of the gospel; seeking to reconcile people and politics with the love of their Heavenly Father and bringing the light of Christ to every community and situation.

The past twelve months have been challenging for millions across the UK and around the world. Internationally, we have witnessed wars escalate in the Middle East, Europe and West and Central Africa, along with trade wars that could further unsettle global markets and national economics. 

Domestically, families on middle to low income are struggling to keep up with rising bills. The number of 16-to-24-year-olds unemployed (702,000 individuals to be precise) is rising month on month and tensions on the streets highlight how fragmented our politics and communities are. 

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Politicians of every stripe have struggled to find economic solutions that adequately respond to local need or bring communities together. But where politicians have struggled to find answers, I believe the John 1:14 has inspired the UK church in its engagement on complex issues.

The Evangelical Alliance’s advocacy team, along with member churches and individuals, have embodied John 1:14 this year – bringing the very presence of Jesus into different communities and political debates. But being that faithful presence in a fractured society has not always been easy. There have been many policy disappointments this year. Here are just some of the lowlights from the year where we have sought to represent the love, light and life of Jesus.

Wednesday 18 June and Friday 20 June 2025 will be two dates I will remember for the rest of my life. 

On 18 June, MPs voted to support an amendment to decriminalise abortion – in effect allowing a woman to self-induce her own abortion with no criminal sanction. Two days later, MPs marginally voted in favour of legalising assisted suicide in England and Wales and for the bill to continue its passage in the Lords. As the issues moved into the Lords, we have worked with peers across parties to see their reversal.

With regards to the abortion amendment in the Crime and Policing Bill, we have worked with Baroness Foster of Afghadrumsee to expose the government’s lack of plans to safeguard vulnerable women from coercion or abuse in the event of abortion. We have also written to the secretary of state for health and social care to ask what legal protections there will be for the unborn child should this amendment be accepted.

Working to defeat both assisted suicide private members bills in Holyrood and Westminster was the focus of much of our time and engagement this year and will remain so in 2026.

We have brought the concerns of parents and member organisations who would be negatively impacted by proposals made in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the introducing VAT on private schools to ministers and civil servants. They have sought to reassure us that their objective is to equalise education for all, not to squeeze parental responsibility as primary educators. In the new year we will update members on how to respond to the special educational needs and disability (SEND) reforms and religious education content within the new national curriculum that will take effect in September 2028.

In Scotland, the team have submitted written evidence and are meeting with Scottish parliamentarians and government officials regarding the government’s Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of the UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill. We have campaigned against the withdrawing of children from religious and moral education in schools. Stage two begins this week.

And finally, in Northern Ireland, schools are set to undergo reform of religious education in the new year, following November’s Supreme Court ruling. In 2026, the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland will engage with Minister Givan and his Department, share new guidance widely with our members, and host meetings where needed – equipping teachers, governors, church leaders and parents alike to be fully informed and confident in contributing to this important public conversation as evangelical Christians.

We have spoken extensively and written at length on the rise of Christian nationalism within public discourse. No doubt this will continue to be a talking point next year. But politics and laws will not resolve the national identity crisis within this country; the gospel will.

At the start of the year, media outlets and research publications were beginning to quantify the interest in spirituality across age groups, sex and cultural backgrounds and specific curiosity about the Christian faith. Politics is ill-equipped to respond to spiritual curiosity. Churches and individual Christians need to be well resourced in sharing and explaining the hope they have found in Jesus regardless of someone’s political affiliations, class or other faith backgrounds. Check out our Great Commission webpage for resources on how to disciple and share eternal truths with a contemporary audience. 

A special thank you to members who have read articles, responded to consultations or watched Cross Section podcast. Your membership has given the team access to and time with ministers and government advisors on emerging issues this year – Islamophobia, assisted suicide, online harms and Christian nationalism to name a few. With every opportunity we have spoken positively about how Jesus transforms lives and rebuilds communities. Till we connect again via email, podcast or at an event, I pray you have wonderful, Christ-filled Christmas!

As this parliamentary session draws to a close, work has already begun on 2026 engagement. 

We will continue to represent our members on the policy areas above and have already met with government officials and parliamentarians on expected policy announcements and consultations scheduled for the new year:

1.Can Labour bring an end to hate in society? On Tuesday 6 January we are meeting with the inquiry chair and other officials leading on the independent review on public order and hate crime legislation in England and Wales. We will be representing our members and aiming to explain the many ways evangelicals serve local communities and practise faith. 

2.Is the ​“Islamophobia” definition no more? We have campaigned for several months, making the case that a new definition should not restrict churches’ and individuals’ freedom to speak the name of Jesus or for individuals from another religion to learn about the Christian faith or receive Christ for themselves. A decision is imminent and we will update members in the new year.

3.Can the home secretary implement an immigration policy that appeases Labour backbench MPs and the general public? The appointment of Shabana Mahmood in the prime minister’s September cabinet reshuffle and her strong stance on changing immigration policy has been welcomed by those on centre right of politics and unsettled those on the left. The Justice and Home Affairs Commons Select Committee have launched an inquiry on acquiring British citizenship, resettlement and integration. We will be responding upon behalf of our members. You can find out more about the inquiry by visiting par​lia​ment​.uk.

4.What is the role of the church in wider debate on special educational needs and disability (SEND) and welfare reform? The UK government’s spending commitments in the summer spending review and decisions in the autumn budget indicate further reforms are expected in 2026. However much the government decides to spend, it will be significantly less than the need. There is a role for local churches to support families with children with SEND to access an education system that encourages social mobility and supplements learning. 

There is also a national conversation to be had on reforming the welfare system in such a way that it protects the most vulnerable in society and brings dignity to work, whatever one’s age, qualification or ability. We have begun conversations with member organisations and individuals with expertise in economics, education support for families with children or young people with a disability, and poverty relief. We will share our insights from summer 2026. 

5. Will the rise in Reform UK’s popularity see gains in next year’s elections? On 7 May, there will be elections for the Welsh and Scottish parliaments, alongside local council elections in England. Reform UK are polling high in England and Wales and making inroads in Scotland. Towards the end of January we will publish an election page on our website to think biblically about the policy concerns that will be central talking points ahead of and during the election.

6. Is reducing violence against women and girls (VAWG) possible? The rise in pornographic content online, its accessibility and its impact on younger minds is a political puzzle ministers, civil servants and tech industry are struggling to solve. The Labour Government is set to publish its long-awaited strategy. We await a response from the Northern Ireland Executive following its consultation on the prevalence of deepfake sexual images and its impact on women. Scottish MSPs are hopeful its bill to criminalise the purchasing of sex and offer greater support to those seeking to leave prostitution will pass. 

We will continue to update members on the progress of all of these issues in the new year.