[ad_1]
Saqib Bhatti MP is the Shadow Minister of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the MP for Meriden and Solihull East.
Up and down Britain, people are fiercely proud of our history and heritage. There is no doubt that our churches and other places of worship are fundamental to this.
These cherished buildings play key roles in their local community, serving both as a window into our past and active centres of support and sanctuary for people of all faiths and none. The people who look after them – as custodians for future generations – are volunteers who give generously of their time and energy, with little external help.
But many of them are reliant on the vital lifeline which is the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. Introduced in 2001, the scheme provides essential grants covering the VAT charged on repairs to listed buildings used as places of worship.
When in government, the Conservatives had a strong record of standing up for our heritage. Last year alone, we ensured nearly 5,000 religious buildings in the UK received a share of up to £42 million in public funding. However, Labour have today announced a dramatic reduction in state support, limiting the fund to a trivial £23 million or in layman’s terms a cut by nearly a half.
This will mean that churches and other places of worship are left hurting.
With Historic England estimating that 969 places of worship are under threat, including several churches in the Prime Minister’s constituency, if the Government were to allow these churches to fall into a state of disrepair, it would be an act of iconoclasm reminiscent of Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.
But this should come as no surprise given Labour have no interest in Britain’s history and heritage.
We’ve already seen the calamitous impact of the Chancellor’s Budget on our great houses where independent analysis suggests inheritance tax hikes and other tax rises could spell the end for some estates. The unprecedented assault on some of the UK’s most popular stately-homes, such as Highclere Castle, could force estates to let go of staff or even be taxed out of business.
If Labour are so willing to let some of the country’s best loved homes collapse and have failed to fund the repair of some of our beloved churches, I fear they really do not have the resolve to do more to stand up for our history.
We’ve heard their new MPs talk about the Palace of Westminster in absolute disdain. Could it be that the Chancellor is modelling relocating Parliament in an effort to make ends meet?
When reports about the future of the Elgin Marbles surfaced, Number 10 were quick to duck the challenge of standing up for Britain. They failed to point out that the marbles are protected by an Act of Parliament and give us assurances that he wouldn’t change the law to allow their return to Greece.
Of course, what makes all of these frightening scenarios all the more troubling is that the bleak economic outlook is going to force the Chancellor into even more spending cuts.
The question we should start asking ourselves are not if the Chancellor will make cuts, but how deep will her cuts go? The answer to that will be what is most palatable to Labour MPs.
From here, we quickly find that protecting our heritage is way down the list of priorities for Labour members of Parliament, and thus the Chancellor.
Labour’s huge cut to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme points to a deeply concerning broader picture. The economic situation exacerbates this enormously. The question we must begin to ask ourselves is whether we really believe Labour have the bottle to stand up for our heritage.
I am very concerned they don’t.
[ad_2]
Source link
