MPs, Peers and members’ staff filled the room for last night’s inaugural meeting in 2010 of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), with a number ducking out of other meetings and parliamentary business to ensure they could attend. The APPHG brings together non-religious MPs and Peers from all three main parties, as well as members from the crossbenches in the Lords, and since 2006 has maintained the prestigious “All-Party” status.
The meeting opened with its AGM and election of officers. The Rt Hon Lord Macdonald of Tradeston stood down as chair after presiding over an incredibly successful 5 years for the Group, with former Minister Lord Warner, taking over as chair. The Group welcomed the re-election of Kelvin Hopkins MP, Lord Taverne, Baroness Flather and Lord McIntosh as officers. Dr Julian Huppert MP and Lord Garel-Jones were both elected for the first time as vice chairs, and Baroness Massey, who is currently heavily involved with the Academies Bill representing the humanist position, was elected as secretary.
Following the AGM, BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson addressed the Group, outlining the challenges and opportunities posed for humanists in parliament by the coalition government’s programme. In particular, constitutional reform, education and public services were flagged up as key issues for members of the Group to get involved in over the coming year. Speaking on education, Mr Copson said that the Group had reason to be concerned about ‘the religious aspects of mass deregulation’ but also said it was a great chance to get rid of the unnecessary, outdated and prescriptive laws and rules such as those on compulsory worship in schools.
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For more information about the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, see here https://humanists.uk/about/apphg, or contact Naomi Phillips on 020 7079 3585.
The BHA provides the Secretariat for the APPHG but it is not affiliated to, or part of, the BHA.
The British Humanist Association is the national charity representing and supporting the interests of ethically concerned, non-religious people in the UK. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief, and for a secular state.