Community Cohesion

The transcript is a record of an Oral Question session in the House of Commons, where several Labour MPs asked the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, about the steps her department is taking to promote community cohesion. Alex Baker, Noah Law, and Jacob Collier all asked the Secretary of State what steps her department is taking to help promote community cohesion. In her response, Angela Rayner acknowledged the recent "appalling violence" that has exposed "deep-rooted weaknesses in our society" and said she is determined to support the recovery of affected towns and cities, as well as invest in community cohesion. She commended the work of faith leaders and groups in promoting tolerance and understanding, and said the government will support community leaders in this effort. In a follow-up, Alex Baker asked the Secretary of State to join her in commending the faith leaders in Aldershot and Farnborough who are working to promote tolerance and understanding. Rayner agreed, and said she was proud to have served alongside the late Jo Cox, whose words about our common humanity ring true. Noah Law raised the issue of the housing crisis in Cornwall undermining community cohesion, with locals priced out or facing homelessness. Rayner acknowledged this and said the government is strengthening housing targets and acting to ensure local plans support the commitment to 1.5 million new homes, including social homes. Jacob Collier cited the example of the Princess Street mosque in Burton-upon-Trent opening its doors to the wider community to promote mutual understanding, and asked if the Deputy Prime Minister welcomes this. Rayner said she absolutely welcomes such efforts to build understanding between different backgrounds. Other MPs, including Mr Lee Dillon and Jim Shannon, also intervened to discuss the importance of community cohesion and infrastructure, as well as highlighting positive examples of communities coming together. Rayner responded positively to these interventions, agreeing on the need for community infrastructure and praising the way communities have responded. The session concluded with an exchange between Rayner and the shadow Secretary of State, Kemi Badenoch, regarding the Khan review into social cohesion, with Badenoch criticizing Rayner for not having read the review, and Rayner defending the government's approach to community cohesion.