A sweeping review of the relationship between faith and the state in recent times is due to be published within weeks, urging ministers to crack down on oppression, violence and radicalisation in religious settings. The report, by Colin Bloom, will be unveiled by Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
What has Bloom been looking at?
While Westminster’s attention has been captured by the pandemic, Partygate and the mini-budget meltdown, Bloom has quietly been working on one of the most sweeping government investigations ever undertaken into religion in modern Britain. His remit was simply to review how best the government should engage with faith groups in the UK, and those close to the process say he has been rigorous in his fieldwork, talking to representatives from a range of faith groups.
What will he say?
Much of Bloom’s report will lay out the positive impact he believes religion plays in society, something he will say was highlighted when Britain went into lockdown, closing many places of worship in the process. But some of the most interesting and controversial recommendations will deal with where he believes faith groups are causing harm. Many of his conclusions chime with those of his boss, Michael Gove, who has said for years that he believes Muslim madrasas in particular help foment radicalism – claims that have been disputed by Islamic organisations.
Why now?
Bloom was appointed in 2019 but his report has been delayed multiple times. First, the pandemic made it difficult for him to interview people, and then towards the end of last year, Gove decided he wanted to read the report himself before it was published. In the end, many of Bloom’s recommendations are timely: ultra-Orthodox Jewish schools have been in the news, while his warnings about Sikh nationalism will resonate after the recent attacks on the Indian high commission in London.
