URBANCONSULTATIONJAN2013 BELIEVINGINTHECITY2

JohnMasonMSP MSPforGlasgowShettleston Faith,PoliticsandtheCity

JohnMason

Faith,PoliticsandtheCity

Personalbackground(expand): BroughtupinChurchofScotland,Rutherglen;faiththroughSU. Trainedasaccountant:OperationMobilisation,InterserveNepal. JoinedSNPabout1990,firststoodforCouncil1998 2008byelectionforGlasgowEastatWestminster;lostin2010. 2011electedtoScottishParliament. ClearlyGoddoescareaboutcitiesandakeyverseformeis: Jonah4:1011 IalwaysfindthatversemovingwhenIreadit MaybeasIlikeanimalstoo! ButitdoesshowsomethingofGodsheartforthatcity AndbyextensionforcitieslikeGlasgow,Kathmandu,&London, Whicharethe3citiesIhavelivedinforanyperiodoftime. HavetosayIgotinvolvedinpoliticsbecauseIwantindependenceforScotland. However,Ihavegotincreasinglyinvolvedinnittygrittyissues. Iwillcomebacktosomeoftheseissuesshortly. Firstlythoughafewcommentsonthekindofsocietywearein. WeareinapluralisticsocietythesedaysIampositiveaboutthat. Iknowsomewouldprefertogobacktogoodolddays AChristiancountry,privilegesforChristians. ButIdonotreallyseethatideainJesusteaching FewfollowingHim,gatenarrow,expectationofpersecution, Hisownsuppressionbytheauthorities. Andhistoricallychurchstrongerwhennotdominant: Actsthen,Chinatoday,manyinbetween. SoIthinkwecanbegladwearewhereweare. IflookinginBibleforexampletofollowthesedays, IamnotlookingatDavidorSolomonorHezekiah, ButatJosephinEgypt,Esther&MordecaiinSusa,DanielinBabylon. Foronething,Ithinkthataffectshowwespeaktosociety. Notasaprivilegedvoiceoronespeakingdown, Butwearealsoaminorityandshouldunderstandotherminorities. FromDaniel(read6:15) Maybehowwedopoliticsisasimportantasparticularcauses. Hewastrustworthyandneithercorruptnornegligent. However,clearlycausesareimportant: Rich/poorgap Whichseemstobegettingwider. HealthGap QuotefiguresfromNHSreport. Housingmostcommonissueforpeopletobringtome. NottobetoopoliticalbutRighttoBuyhascausedproblems.

UrbanConsultationJan2013BelievingintheCity2

JohnMason

JohnMason

Faith,PoliticsandtheCity

Peopleupstairswhoneedgroundfloor; Overcrowding; Unabletoheatormaintainproperly; HousingBenefitchangesexpectedtohavebigimpact. Lackofjobs IamonFinanceCommitteeEmployabilityReport Issueswitheducation,colleges Andsoftskills,familiesnotworking. Goodthingshappening:transport,CommGamesvillage. Butdoesnotlooklikeeconomywillimprovesoon(23yrs?). Tuesdaydebateonbudgetnotcreatingjobs? Butnosuggestionsastowhatweshoulddoinstead. Debtismajortoo(lotoftheseinterlinked) Thesearejustasampleofspecificissues whichIfacelocallyandParliamentisfocussedon. TherearealsobroaderareaslikePreventativeSpending IthinkthatchimeswithChristianthinking takinglongtermapproachsownowreaplater. Buthowcanwecutprisonsorhospitalsnow ForFamilyNursePartnershipsorearlyyearsinvestmentnow? Sayatthispoint,churcheshavegainedcredibilitywithworklike: Welcomingasylumseekers StreetPastors Foodbanks. Nottraditionallyevangelisticwork,butgainingcredibilityinwidersociety. SotherearedifferentwayschurchandindividualChristianscanbeinvolved: Campaigningonthehousing,debt,jobsissues. (althoughmanyotherscampaigningonthesetoo); Actuallygoingoutthereandhelpingpeople. ButalsoIthinkChristianshavearoleinHOWwedoourwork AswellasWHATwedoorwhatwetalkabout... Whichinmycaseispolitics. Danielwastrustworthyandneithercorruptnornegligent Needforthatinpoliticstoday Althoughalsoinbanking,citycouncil,NHS,... WhileIwasatWestminster,wehadMPsexpensesscandal (Iwastoolatetogetinvolved!) Andjustlastweekreportaboutadevelopmentagency LegallyacharitybutinpracticerunbyCouncil Wherechiefexecutivegot0.5millionseverancepackage Andthisismoneymeanttobeusedforhelpingneedyfolk. Someofchallengesareatapersonallevel: Whipsysteminparties(Westminster,Holyrood,CityChambers)

UrbanConsultationJan2013BelievingintheCity2

JohnMason

JohnMason

Faith,PoliticsandtheCity

Similartobeingemployee Howmuchcanyougoagainstemployer/party? Slightlyeasierifconstituencyratherthanlist. Standinguptobullying,unhealthyinfluence Sometimeswethinkofbullyingbeingmainlyinschools, Buthappensinmanywalksoflife. Ihaveexperiencedit: 1. WithinmyownpartyMSPagainstcouncillor; 2. Incommunitycommunitycouncilchairagainstmembers,Councilofficials, andcouncillor; 3. Aconstituentscaredoftheircouncillor(liftonpollingday); GiventhatJesus(andthroughoutBible)tellsusnottofear, Presumablyweshouldnotbeafraidevenifothersare. Andoneofourrolesinthecommunity Isperhapstostanduptothosewhoarebullying Oratleastexertinganunhealthyinfluence. Whilementioningcurrentpoliticalissues,probablyneedtoreferto AssistedsuicideandsamesexmarriagebothatScottishParliament. ThesearenotparticularlytopicsIaskedtobeatParliament ButtheyarethereandIneedtoreacttothemcantignore. AgainIfeelHOWwespeakonthesetopicsisimportant GettingabalancebetweenholdingtoBiblicaltruth Yetsayingitinagraciousway. Immigration: WehavehaddifferentwavesofimmigrationintoGlasgowandScotland: Irish,antiIrishracism,sectarianism PostWWIIPakistanandSouthAsia OnlyreallyPakistaniMuslimbeingelected(mainlymale) Recentimmigration IncludesChristiansfromAfricanbackground. Ithinktherearechallengeswefacewithallofthese ButinGlasgowthegreatestprobablyissectarianism. WhenIjoinedtheCityCouncilin1998,listofequalityissues: Women,BME,LGBT,age,disability Butnomentionofsectarianism. AcolleagueandIraisedthisandalsowasraisedinScottishParliament. Butwestillfindithardtotalkabout Andthereisdebateastohowbiganissueitreallyis. WhenIwasanMPforGlasgowEast ItwassaidmyconstituencywasthemostCatholicinBritain. Certainlymylineonembryologyandabortion(2008)seemedtocount. Butinallmytimeinpolitics(15yearssincefirstelected), AwarethatIhavetotreadverycarefully,e.g. Ifwantrepairstoanondenominationalschoolsbuilding ImustalsobalancethatwithwantingrepairsforCatholiconetoo. (fortunatelynotdifficultmanyschoolsinpoorstate!).

UrbanConsultationJan2013BelievingintheCity2

JohnMason

JohnMason

Faith,PoliticsandtheCity

Interestingthattensionscanoftenbegreatest betweenthosewholookandsoundverysimilar. InNepalin1980stensionbetweenNepaliswhohadalwayslivedinNepal AndthosewhosefamilieshadlivedinIndiaandcomeback. Conclusion Sotoconclude IthinkweneedtoacceptcommittedChristiansareinaminoritytoday, ButIreckonwecanbepositiveaboutthat Therearemanynewopportunities. Therearemanyissuesthatwecancampaignon, Andmanywayswecanactuallyservepeople. ButmaybeoneofthekeysisHOWwedoit, AndHOWwespeaktosociety.

UrbanConsultationJan2013BelievingintheCity2

JohnMason