Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used a Holy Week reception at 10 Downing Street on Monday evening to declare a new working relationship between the government and the Church of England under its newly installed Archbishop of Canterbury, calling for a “proper partnership” in which faith and politics operate not as “two separate things” but as aligned forces for social renewal.
The Monday reception gathered Christian leaders, volunteers, and local congregation representatives inside Number Ten. It opened with prayer led by the Rev Chris Lee, a priest known for his social media presence, and opening remarks from Florence Shalomi, a Christian Labour MP, before the Prime Minister addressed the room.
Starmer spoke directly to the recent installation of Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Rev. Sarah Mullally — the first woman to hold the office — calling the Canterbury service “phenomenal.” “To see the Church assembled in that way from across the world was phenomenal,” he told the gathering, according to Premier Christian News
“Many of you will have watched it with real hope and inspiration for the future.”
He then went further, framing the Mullally installation as the opening of a new chapter in church-state relations. “Archbishop Sarah and I have spoken previously about how important it is that we talk to each other and have a proper partnership,” he said. “Government and faith should not be two separate things operating in separate spheres. Many of the values we hold are the same, and therefore we should be trying to work in partnership wherever we can.”
The Prime Minister identified the church’s grassroots community work — night shelters, food banks, youth clubs, care for the elderly — as evidence of a shared national project, praising those present for “reflecting the compassion and service that are at the heart of Christ’s example.” He said: “Everything you do proves the complete opposite of those who want to divide us.”
The gathering took place against a wartime backdrop. The event coincided with a separate Downing Street roundtable on the conflict in Iran and its economic effects on British households. Starmer acknowledged the weight of the moment: “I do obviously appreciate that this Easter is tinged with anxiety for many people. They don’t like to see what they’re seeing on their screens — explosions, countries getting drawn in, infrastructure being destroyed… And they also worry about the impact it’s going to have on them as individuals, families and households.” He called faith “a really special part” of what helps people navigate periods of national uncertainty.
The Religion Media Centre summarised the reception as the Prime Minister pledging to work with Mullally on “shared values” and praising churches for “strengthening communities.”
Archbishop Mullally was installed on March 25. A visit to Pope Leo XIV in Rome is scheduled for April 25-28.