Humanists UK has enjoyed its busiest and most successful conference season ever, having attended the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and Conservative Party conferences. We spoke and held events at all three with our affiliated political humanist groups, and gained many new members and supporters through our presence with exhibition stands.
Liberal Democrats: Humanists UK’s Education Campaigns Manager, Dr Ruth Wareham, and Humanists UK Trustee and founder of Faith to Faithless Imtiaz Shams, spoke at the Humanist and Secularist Liberal Democrats’ packed out fringe event which discussed the need for LGBT-inclusive relationships and sex education in schools. Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames also spoke at HSLD’s AGM, and the Liberal Democrats also passed strong policy demanding immediate legal recognition of humanist marriages. There we also met with several MPs and peers and signed up members and supporters to Humanists UK.
Labour: In Brighton at the Labour Party Conference, Humanists UK and Labour Humanists held our annual No Prayer Breakfast event which saw member of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group Angela Eagle MP, Humanists UK Trustee Tom Copley AM, Humanists UK Vice President and Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee, chair of Faith to Faithless Aliyah Saleem, and Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson come together to discuss key humanist issues including ending religious segregation in schools, assisted dying, and humanist marriages. The breakfast was hugely popular, as it is every year.
Conservatives: Jointly with Conservative Humanists at the Conservative Party Conference we held a drinks reception on the subject of Freedom of Religion or Belief with speeches from Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group Crispin Blunt MP, Chair of Conservative Humanists James Baird, Chair of Faith to Faithless Aliyah Saleem, and Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson.
Our exhibition stands at the conferences were popular and signed up many new members and supporters, as well as supportive politicians. At Labour we had hundreds of signatures for our petition calling for an end to collective worship in schools, and at the Conservatives we saw an equally high level of support for our petition calling on the UK Government to prioritise repealing global blasphemy and apostasy laws.
This weekend Wales Humanists will attend the Plaid Cymru Party Conference in Swansea and will have an exhibition stand there. Humanist Society Scotland will be present at the Scottish National Party’s conference, and Northern Ireland Humanists will be attending some of the Northern Ireland parties’ conferences.
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For more information contact Humanists UK press manager Casey-Ann Seaniger at casey@humanists.uk or 020 7324 3078.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 85,000 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 benefiting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.
Wales Humanists and Northern Ireland Humanists are a part of Humanists UK.