Citizens for Sanctuary call for campaign champions

The May 6th election is now only 7 weeks from today – so we only have 49 days to get our Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to sign the Sanctuary Pledge.  Now is the time to act.  Since Christmas over 150 of you across the country have trained (or are just about to!) with myself, Sophie Stephens, Carina Crawford-Rolt, Jonny Scott or Jess Kennedy, to meet with your Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to ask them to sign the Sanctuary Pledge. We need to increase that number to cover all 200 of our target constituencies, but we are making real progress.

Sanctuary Pledge pressure is beginning to tell on the politicians

And because of the pressure which you are beginning to apply in your local areas, in the past week two immigration ministers have come to speak to leaders of the campaign about the Sanctuary Pledge, and specifically about child detention.  We are pushing them to address the issue of child detention, and to back the Sanctuary Pledge publicly.  They are wavering on this – and your delegations to see Prospective Parliamentary Candidates will really help to increase the pressure on the politicians.  

Mobilisation Pack – download it from the website

For those of you who have been on training, you should have received the Sanctuary Pledge Mobilisation Pack which gives you chapter and verse on how to prepare and meet with your Prospective Parliamentary Candidates.  You can now download it from our website: http://sanctuarypledge.org.uk/#/mobilisation-pack/4539476026

Letter/email to Prospective Parliamentary Candidates – contact them now!

With the election now within sight, you need to get your requests for meetings with your PPCs in very soon.  Ideally, we would like you all to have fixed the date for the meetings by the end of March – even if you haven’t finished building your delegation by that point.  Please find attached a draft letter that can be sent to your PPCs by post or email along with a copy of the Sanctuary Pledge.  You can download a copy of the Pledge itself here:  http://sanctuarypledge.org.uk/#/the-pledge/4536536989

Check out the blog for the latest news

The Sanctuary Pledge blog has all the latest news on the campaign, including a message of support from Yasmin Alibhai Brown: “Britain has two faces when it comes to the dispossessed seeking refuge.  One is humane, open, ready to receive and embrace, the other is harsh, cruel and selfish. It has been ever thus. The Hugenots, then Jews, then Africans, now Arabs, Iranians, Afghans, Iraqis knew and know both… So for our sake as much as those seeking our help, we must protect the sacred idea of sanctuary.” http://sanctuarypledge.blogspot.com.    Thank you for all you are doing to support the Sanctuary Pledge!   Jonathan.

Jonathan Cox

Lead Organiser

CITIZENS for Sanctuary

07919 484066