In Depth:  politics

politics & policy

James Mildred

In Matthew 13:36-43, Jesus explains the parable of the weeds. The basic teaching is that at the end of the age there will be a great harvest. “The weeds” will be thrown into hell, while “the wheat” will shine like stars in a new world. Until that great day, the righteous and unrighteous shall coexist in this world.

It has struck me afresh in recent weeks that this is a perfect analogy for Christian engagement in politics. At CARE (Christian Action Research and Education), we are deeply privileged to have an office at the heart of Westminster. We are just five minutes walk (three if you leg it!) from the Houses of Parliament. Our location facilitates our relational approach to political engagement.

politics & policy

Tim Farron

These last few weeks, I’ve been talking poop. Even more than usual! As Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesman, I’ve been scrutinising the Water Bill, which involved much discussion of sewage outflows!

I’ve followed the bill through the Second Reading debate before Christmas, five meetings of the committee which discussed the bill line by line, and back to the Commons for Report and Third Reading. It now goes back to the Lords, where it began, and will ‘ping pong’ between the two Houses until they agree, before the King gives Royal Assent and it becomes an Act of Parliament.

politics & policy

Krish Kandiah

This year we celebrate 80 years since the end of the Second World War. It’s a remarkable gift from God that countries that were once in conflict have found a way to not only reconcile their differences but work, trade, cooperate, and live together in peace.

It’s a peace we perhaps have come to take for granted, and, with conflict once again rearing its brutal head in Europe and the Middle East, I fear it is also a fragile peace.

Nicola Laver

A statutory obligation could be imposed on parents to report if their home-schooled child is attending Sunday School and other forms of church education, under the wide-ranging Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The bill, which details plans for compulsory registration of home-schooled children, has also been criticised by some for a suggested implication that ‘all home-educated children are at risk’.

Emily Pollok

Christian Labour MP, David Smith, has been appointed to the role of Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for the UK government.

Smith, who became MP for North Northumberland in July 2024, takes over from Conservative MP, Fiona Bruce.

Emily Pollok

David Burrowes, former Tory MP and Co-Director of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, says new party leader Kemi Badenoch understands the importance of Christian values.

‘Kemi Badenoch has grown up in a Christian household and knows about the importance of Christian values as the foundation of family and community life,’ he said. ‘CCF looks forward to helping her renewal of Conservatism by listening to Britain’s faith communities about what the previous government got wrong and what we need to do to put it right.’

Nicola Laver

The Liberal Democrats have said as a ‘statement of fact’ that the time when the party was ‘shaped by Christian beliefs’ is ‘over,’ as a row over the deselection of a Christian candidate continues.

The apparent admission of the difficulty of Christians standing for the party comes in the wake of the deselection of Christian journalist David Campanale as the party’s candidate for the Sutton and Cheam constituency. He says he was deselected because of his orthodox Christian beliefs – including on abortion and gay marriage.

politics & policy

James Mildred

‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again…’ One politician who has taken this mantra to heart is Lord Falconer.

When I first joined CARE (Christian Action Research and Education), his Private Members’ bill to legalise assisted suicide for terminally ill adults with six months or less to live was before the House of Lords. In the end, time ran out and it failed to progress enough to become law.

John Woods

Preachers, politicians and stand-up comedians still speak to crowds. President Zelensky of Ukraine has combined the last two of these in his colourful career. He has demonstrated the power of well-chosen words delivered in the right place to the right people.

Many speeches have been delivered during the UK election campaign that drew to a decisive conclusion on 4 July.

Labour won the general election, with the largest majority of any party in modern history.

The composition of the Houses of Parliament looks very different from after the 2019 ‘Brexit’ election, when Boris Johnson secured a majority of 80 seats. Commentators at the time struggled to see how Labour could get back into power, but five years is a very long time in politics.

James Mildred

Make no mistake about it, the new UK Government faces huge challenges. Some you can trace back to the ongoing, lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the colossal sums of money we printed and spent. Others are the result of tense geo-political situations, including the war in Ukraine.

And yet others pre-date Covid and have been an ongoing issue for generations, like the increasing costs of funding the NHS, welfare, or the sluggish productivity and economic growth.

Of course, other parties are also taking part in this election.

Writing on the website of Christiansinpolitics.org, Stephen Gray says that as a Christian he votes Green for two main reasons: ‘The first reference to government in the Bible is Genesis 1:26, where God says “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

David Burrowes

As a Christian Conservative I have a realistic view of politics and the role of the state, which leans on the fundamental Biblical understanding of a fallen humanity (Gen. 3) in need of Christ’s redemption.

Conservatives do not use a blank canvas to paint a plan to fit in with the needs of a modern age, nor do we seek to impose an ideological blueprint on society, and certainly not misuse a Biblical one. Rather, Conservatism is the idea that we can build on what needs conserving from the past.

Faith comes first. Serving Christ in our troubled and broken world is the call. But why intersect with politics?

Politics is one of many platforms through which to shape our society, challenge inequity and advance opportunity. It is the place where the distribution of wealth is determined through economic policy, how our public services are run, and sets the cultural direction of our nation here at home and how we address issues afar.

In Ephesians 2:10, the apostle Paul tells us: ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ That is both encouraging and challenging!

Encouraging – because each of us has a specific task to do that is unique for us. Challenging – because we need to find what that task is and then follow it through. For me that has previously meant being an accountant with Operation Mobilisation in London; and later, with Interserve/United Mission to Nepal (UMN).

Tim Farron

This general election feels very much like a ‘change’ election. People feel things are broken; they are disillusioned and seeking something different.

But disillusionment often means looking for someone to blame. Elections should of course highlight dividing lines between parties, but any ‘us versus them’ debate that actively pits groups against each other should be a red flag to Christians. We mustn’t lose sight of the dignity and worth of our opponents as human beings.

The recent Evangelical Alliance (EA) report surveying attitudes to political engagement among evangelicals provides much food for thought, writes Tim Lewis of Brephos.

If you haven’t already, it is well worth perusing here. The EA are keen to flag up the positive headlines: high voter turnout (93% said they would vote in the next election); compassionate motivation (58% responded that they voted based on helping ‘others who are most in need’) and a desire for the church to speak into political issues (70%). These results are encouraging, and hint at a mindset where gospel transformation permeates society beyond the local church. Yet dig a little deeper into the data and the picture becomes more complex, with a number of inconsistencies apparent. For example, the report suggests limited trust in politicians and the political status quo (64% felt the current political parties discouraged engagement in politics), yet more evangelicals vote for Labour or Conservative than the general population.

Iain Taylor

Christian polling experts have been commenting on the strength of the UK’s Muslim vote after it played a key part in the election of maverick MP George Galloway.

Peter Brierley told en: ‘Under the UK’s political system a candidate must pay a deposit of £500 to enter an election, which will be lost if they fail to gain 5% of the vote. Muslims are now above that 5% marker, and their voice is therefore democratically allowed to be heard, even if the other 95% disagree!’

Ben Chang

Following months of delaying, the UK Government finally published its draft ‘Gender Questioning Children’ guidance for schools in England. Although pending consultation, the guidance nonetheless sets out the government’s trajectory and gives some much-needed clarity for teachers.

The guidance is more conservative, or ‘gender-critical’, than many expected, and has already triggered backlash from activists; Mermaids called it ‘out of touch and absurd’. The English guidance is also notably divergent from the equivalent guidance in Scotland which takes a much more liberal, or ‘gender-affirming’ approach.

Nicola Laver

Transgender guidance for schools, published this December, does not require teachers or pupils to address a child, who wants to change gender, by their preferred pronoun.

As the guidance was being drafted, The Times said children would be able to socially transition with parental consent, but only in limited circumstances; and teachers would not be forced to use a child’s chosen pronoun if they have a ‘good faith’ exception.

‘Behold your God!’ was the theme of this year’s annual conference at Westminster Seminary UK in Newcastle.

Keynote speaker Joel Beeke was joined by Westminster’s president Ian Hamilton, faculty members Peter Naylor and David Pfeiffer, and Simon Arscott from the IPC (International Presbyterian Church).

Luke Randall

Pupils and teachers in UK schools are under pressure to conform to radical educational material on sex and relationships because there is not enough clear guidance from the Government, according to the Christian Institute’s (CI) Autumn newsletter.

While Christians were given some reassurance by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan’s recent letter to English schools, which said that parents have a ‘fundamental right’ to know what their children are taught in health, relationships and sex education, the publication says there are several challenges ahead.

Luke Randall

Kate Forbes says she might not have won the SNP leadership election, but thinks it was worth being candid about her beliefs – because people are ‘crying out for honesty, truthfulness and integrity from their politicians’.

The former Scottish Finance Secretary narrowly lost out to Humza Yousaf in the race to become the Scottish First Minister, winning 48% of the vote in the second round of voting.

Nicola Laver

Parents across schools in England could have the legal right to access copies of relationship and sex education (RSE) lessons.

That’s if proposals under a new Private Members’ Bill make the statute books. Under the Relationships and Sex Education (Transparency) Bill, schools would also be banned from using external teaching PRSE resources before they have been published.

Nicola Laver

The Prime Minister was among a bumper crop of MPs attending this year’s Parliamentary Breakfast on 27 June, alongside representatives from the Christian community. 

More than 700 parliamentarians - including a record 180-plus MPs - and Christian leaders met together at Westminster Hall for the annual recognition of Christianity’s contribution to UK life.

Evangelical Scottish Nationalist MSP Kate Forbes says many Christians in politics ‘feel they have to hide their faith or adapt it’ in public life.

The former SNP leadership contender shares her thoughts in a new interview with BBC Religion Editor Aleem Maqbool.

Nicola Laver

'Truth is at stake' - according to an MSP speaking to en amid continuing controversy over Scotland's Gender Recognition Act.

John Mason MSP was one of nine MSPs who voted against the legislation.

Nicola Laver

A Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate in South London is facing de-selection because of his Christian beliefs.

David Campanale, an Anglican evangelical, was selected overwhelmingly in January to fight the seat at Sutton and Cheam, but his candidacy appeared to be hanging by a thread at the time of writing.

Rebecca Chapman

How three Christians responded to the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the appointment of Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Mike Royal, the evangelical General Secretary of Churches Together in England (see en, December 2021):

James Mildred

What should we make of Liz Truss?

I’m always struck by the apostle Paul’s command in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, where he says God wants us to pray for all kinds of people. He then immediately gives the examples of kings, emperors, and those in authority over us, and draws a connection between prayers for these people and the freedom we enjoy to live quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Recognising our human weakness and tendency to ignore commands, he adds a further reason to this duty: it pleases God who wants all kinds of people to be saved.

Iain Taylor

In an exclusive interview with en, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Fiona Bruce MP, says awareness of persecution must be turned into action.

Speaking she said: ‘One of my to en, priorities is to ensure that we move from awareness raising to action – to making a real difference in the lives of people who are losing their jobs, education, homes, livelihoods, families, freedom, access to justice and even life itself, simply on account of what they believe.