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General Synod elections 2021

I am standing as a candidate in the election for four lay members of the Church of England’s General Synod for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.

On this page I will publish answers to questions that have been put to me by the electorate – members of Deanery Synods in the diocese. I will also post some thoughts on issues that arise during the election campaign.

I do not intend to respond to round-robin emails from campaign groups. Members of the General Synod are not – or should not be – representatives of campaign groups. They are elected by members of the diocese and are accountable to the members of the diocese – not to campaigning bodies.

This isn’t intended to malign campaign groups – I am a director of one (the Jill Saward Organisation)!

Nor is it to malign the various Groups on General Synod who play an important role in supporting its members. But the General Synod should not be a body made up of partisan groups or pseudo-political parties and so I will not be seeking endorsement from campaign groups, no matter how active they are. My focus is on the people of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, where I have made my home.

There are six candidates standing for four places in the House of Laity for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham (there are also six candidates standing for three places in the House of Clergy). You can see a list of all candidates on the diocesan website. Please pray for all 12 of us – not just now but after the elections too. When the elections are over pray regularly for the seven elected members.

Voting opens on Friday 17 September and closes on Friday 8 October. Voting instructions will be sent out by the diocese. The election takes place using the Single Transferable Vote: instead of placing an X in a box, voters can rank the candidates in order – putting number 1 next to their first preference, 2 in tehir second preference and so on.

I ask you, if you are a voter in this election, to give me a high preference.

Why should you vote for me?

I hope in the coming days, as I post more information here, you will see enough to persuade you to put your trust in me. In the meantime, you can download and read my election address (as a pdf document) by clicking here.

If you want to get in touch, please email me: gavin@gavindrake.co.uk.

Thank you.