Information is often obscured in election campaigns, the job of the media should be to bring it to the fore.
Today we are praying about this, that we get good coverage of relevant facts and that data is presented in a way which is simple to understand and unbiased.
- Pray for the economics editors and political correspondents of the news media that they will be able to examine manifesto claims justly and present them clearly
- Pray that candidates being interviewed on the media or questioned at hustings will understand their policies and be able to give good account of them
- Pray that the electorate will feel that they have been well informed about the differences between parties and candidates and that they feel able to make good decisions on polling day
- Where there are sharp disagreements about statements made by one side or the other, pray that there will be no ‘hang-over’ beyond the election that enables one side or the other not to accept results
Bible Reading: Various verses from Proverbs. Today’s prayer from engage19.org.uk : Lord, we lift to You the party leaders. Please help them to present their beliefs and proposals clearly in debates on radio, television and online. Amen.
CARE have launched a website devoted to information about, and prayer for, the Election. It is www.engaGE19.org.uk and their suggested prayer for today is included above.
Each week we will be focussing our prayer as below:
- THIS WEEK: The Media and Election Communication
- NEXT WEEK: Policies and Manifestos
- W/c 8th December: Election Week
It’s important that the issues that matter to the electorate are reported, and not things like the style of one politician’s hair or another’s dress. We cannot determine our looks, the class or privilege we were or were not born into and nor can the candidates, so those things should not be at the front of reporting. 
We start by praying for balanced coverage. This means different things depending on the media: television and radio stations have a duty to give equal coverage to the different parties (though more time is allowed for those which have more candidates standing and also for those which have a realistic chance of forming the next government). Print media obviously has a different role, most newspapers will take a position of support for one party or another and everything they print will be from that perspective. Then there is the ‘new media’ (which we pray specifically about next Saturday), this includes things such as Twitter and Facebook and other sites where the public make posts.
. In this election a large number are going to be first timers to the House of Commons as there were dozens of MPs who stood down when the election was called and doubtless more who will not be re-elected. For some new MPs this will mean moving to London from far flung parts of the nation, and weekly trips back by train or plane to meet constituents. It is a demanding routine, not to mention getting to know the ways and means of life in the Palace of Westminster.
Standing for parliament is perhaps the greatest form of public service a citizen can perform, and yet it has become either ridiculed or a matter for bored disinterest among so many. We will be praying about this today.
and that our country which has become divided on a whole range of issues will begin to draw back together again (ultimately, around the Gospel of the Kingdom and the Lordship of Jesus). For our local candidates we will be praying that they are able to conduct their campaigns without fear of intimidation.
members in the constituency and the local party office, and for all candidates there are friends and family who will work alongside them. Many will give hours of time stuffing envelopes or walking many miles delivering leaflets.
What is it that they want to achieve in office? What is their vision for the country and for their constituency? How do they plan to work towards achieving these aims? 
of the Somme ended today in 1916, after a million lives had been lost fighting there. 
It is important that these promises are realistic, and couched in language that says what they mean without ambiguity. Opposing candidates and parties might seek to undermine the claims and promises, and again there is a temptation to deliberately mis-interpret what has been said in order to make it look ridiculous.
in the General Election. Most will be standing because they have been selected by the political parties that they are members of, whilst others are independents who have either a strong commitment to the area the constituency is in or a deeply held conviction about one or more issues that they do not feel are properly addressed by the political parties. There were no independent MPs elected to the last parliament (although some resigned from their party after being elected), the following were the totals in that election: Conservative 317, Labour 262, Scottish National 35, Liberal Democrat 12, Democratic Unionist 10, Sinn Fein 9 (Sinn Fein representatives do not take their seat in Westminster on principle), Plaid Cymru 4, Green 1. A map of these results can be seen 
Advent 2021 