The event saw over 250 representatives of churches from around London gather to question the MP, who officially launches his election campaign this week, about his Christian faith and political ambitions.
During a question and answer session with the audience, Hughes pledged to set up a ‘Faith Forum’ to feed the views of faith groups into the London Assembly, should he be elected. When asked what benefits there would be in having a ‘Christian’ Mayor of London, he replied: “Many people in London believe it is important to be led by someone of faith, someone who shares the values held by many people of faith, someone who will speak to and represent them better than a Mayor of no faith can.”
During an on-stage interview with Faithworks Founding Director Steve Chalke, Hughes praised the work of Faithworks and the work of churches in the capital, saying: “Churches are a powerful force for social transformation in London, giving so much more selfless commitment than Government ever can. The fact is that London needs its churches.”
The MP, who cited the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 as his favourite bible passage, was also eager to emphasise the importance of his faith within his political decision-making. He said: “My faith comes first, my politics second. There hasn’t been one big political decision where I haven’t prayed and tried to apply Christian principles.”
{ENDS}
PRESS RELEASE ARCHIVE
A selection of press releases issued by the Faithworks Campaign from Spring 2001 and more recently from the Faithworks Movement, are available for view or download by clicking on the appropriate title in the section within the panel opposite.
