Lizzi Collinge, Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), recently shared her first-hand experience of applying humanist principles in Parliament on Humanists UK’s What I Believe podcast.
The podcast explores the beliefs and values of well-known humanists – campaigners, artists, writers, and entertainers who are ‘good without gods’.
A humanist ‘framework’
As a guest on the seventh season of What I Believe, Lizzi revealed that while she has always held humanist beliefs, her work with fellow humanists has helped to ‘codify’ them more recently. She recounted an experience from 15 years ago while working in Spain:
‘It’s interesting how you can actually be living by beliefs for quite a long time without actually necessarily always thinking them through fully. And I think that’s as true for me as it is for other people.
‘I think back to conversations I had years ago, and I now strongly see that it’s a humanist framework that I’m working through. So I was just thinking the other day, I used to work in Spain. I worked in this organic garden in the middle of the mountains in Andalucía, near one of the Pueblos Blancos (the White Towns of Andalusia). And I was working there with this Australian woman and she said to me, “Well, what’s the point? If there’s nothing after this life, what’s the point?” And I said, “Look where you are! There are eagles soaring overhead. There are lizards skittering by. We’re in one of the most beautiful places in the world, doing productive work that we enjoy and having a great time together. What more do you want!?” And at the time, I wouldn’t have thought, well, “That’s because I’m a humanist, and I have these humanist beliefs.” That’s just something that I feel to be true about the world: that the world is a natural phenomenon that we can explain, and that is wonderful and beautiful and enough. It’s enough.’
‘Having opinions wasn’t enough’
Lizzi’s entry into politics in 2014, when she joined the Labour Party as a first-time mother, stemmed from a realisation that ‘having opinions wasn’t enough, that I actually needed to get off my bum and do something about it’.
She also addresses assisted dying, noting her long-standing engagement with the topic. While acknowledging the difficulties for colleagues who may not have considered it deeply, she emphasises the responsibility of MPs to make ‘life and death decisions every day’:
‘I was at an advantage to some of my colleagues in that I have been thinking and talking about assisted dying for a long time, so I accept that I was at an advantage there. I’d already done a lot of the thinking… But you know what? This is the job, you’re making life and death decisions every day in this place, and if you can’t understand and accept that, then I think, you’re not in the right place…
I get that it’s difficult… a lot of my colleagues would say, ‘”Well, I’d like it for me. I like it in principle, but I’m worried about X, Y, and Z”. I understand that but that’s about how the Bill is drafted.’
Chief Executive of Humanists UK, Andrew Copson, commented:
‘What I discerned from talking to Lizzi for What I Believe is her passion for humanist principles and a tireless dedication to their practical application in Parliament. As the Chair of the APPHG, she’s a determined advocate for our campaigns and a true ally at the heart of the UK parliament.’
What I Believe is a podcast exploring the values, beliefs, and worldviews of non-religious people in the public eye. Previous guests include Sandi Toksvig, Tim Minchin, Alice Roberts, and Jim Al-Khalili. It is hosted by Humanists UK’s Chief Executive Andrew Copson.
Listeners are encouraged to tune in and subscribe to the podcast for a unique insight into the varied life stories and perspectives of humanists, whose view of life is shaped by reason, compassion, and evidence. What I Believe is available on all major podcast platforms, with new episodes released every Thursday.
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Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.