CV NEWS FEED // As the July 4 UK general election nears, the Catholic Union of Great Britain emphasizes that the moral convictions of 4.5 million Catholic voters will likely be a decisive force in shaping the election outcome.
According to a recent Catholic Union survey, over 90 percent of its members and supporters plan to vote in the upcoming election, a participation rate significantly higher than the national average. This interest in participation is certainly due to the strong link between religion and politics that is felt by many Catholics; in the same survey, 92 percent of people report that their voting decisions are influenced by their faith and the teachings of the Church.
As stated by James Somerville-Meikle in a recent article from the Catholic Herald, a voting participation rate this high “could make all the difference” in the upcoming election.
The Union has released an election guide containing a range of questions for the country’s 4.5 million Catholics to ask candidates, supplemented with relevant Church teachings for context. The Union is encouraging individuals to read the guide and pose its questions to their parliamentary candidates.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, reinforces the efforts of the Catholic Union in a recent tweet: “I want to encourage all Catholics, especially young adults, to be active and engage with their candidates to ascertain their views on the key issues.”
The 4.5 million Catholic voters in Britain are poised to wield significant influence on the upcoming UK General Election. Catholic Union Interim Director Tristan Feunteun remarked, “Catholics are one of the largest – and one of the most politically- and socially-minded – religious minorities in the country. The election is an opportunity to elect people who recognise the importance of faith to society and will work towards the common good.”
