Last Thursday, 22 February, Stephen raised an Urgent Question in Parliament to challenge the Government’s plans to withdraw funding from the Inter Faith Network.
The Inter Faith Network is the leading charity promoting inter-faith dialogue in the UK. It has promoted mutual understanding between people of different faiths since 1987.
The Government initially threatened to withdraw funding from the Inter Faith Network on 31 March. They then offered the Network £115,000 in July 2023 to fund its operations between July 2023 and March 2024. However, the Government later u-turned again and withdrew the funding. On 7 February, the Network warned that without further funding it would struggle to survive. On 22 February, it announced its imminent closure.
Stephen raised an Urgent Question - a parliamentary procedure that allows MPs to request a Minister come to Parliament to answer questions - about the closure of the Network. Noting reports of heightened Islamophobia and antisemitism, Stephen said it is“extraordinarily stupid to be shutting down, at this precise point, our principle vehicle for Muslim-Jewish dialogue. Surely we need more dialogue!”
The Government contended that they withdrew funding after the Network appointed a trustee who is also a member of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). However, Stephen pointed out that the Government first threatened to withdraw funding on 31 March 2023, before the trustee was appointed.