Conservatism

Theresa May will have more freedom to govern than Margaret Thatcher ever had

In her conference speech yesterday, Theresa May told us what Brexit means: "Britain is going to leave the European Union." She filled in some of the gaps with stirring Tory rhetoric: ..a Britain in which we pass our own laws…

Good Disagreement: report fellow Christians to the police for daring to disagree

September 11, 2016
228 Comments

It isn't entirely clear what happened to 1 Corinthians 6 in the Christian pursuit of Good Disagreement. It appears that if certain liberal/progressive Christians disagree with conservative/traditionalist ones, they think…

EU Referendum: Sentamu preaches "moral responsibility" and Welby "peace and reconciliation"

June 12, 2016
87 Comments

Don't you just love the Church of England's concept of 'neutrality' in the matter of the EU Referendum? A whole sea of bishops has endorsed the Remain campaign (that…

Edward Fox urges Britons to leave the EU: "Sovereign power is absolute"

May 16, 2016
101 Comments

Edward Fox OBE is one of the UK's most distinguished actors, with a career spanning seven decades. In manner, character and disposition, he is the epitome of English decency,…

C of E priest says Labour's anti-Semitism is a right-wing plot, and Tories are racist

May 1, 2016
403 Comments

"Best wait for the vitriolic onslaught," tweeted Fr Simon Rundell, when he was asked politely and courteously if he would like to add anything or clarify his assertion that…

Cameron's Christian values are devoid of liberty, spirit and truth

March 29, 2016
400 Comments

At least No10 bothered to issue an Easter greeting this year. Last year they omitted to do so, and then refused to reply to a number of the politest…

Rev'd Kate Bottley: "I hate it when I agree with a Tory"

February 24, 2016
347 Comments

The Rev'd Kate Bottley is the vicar on Gogglebox, and probably one of the most recognisable of all Anglican clergy in the country. It's usually a good thing to…

Church of England campaigns for the living wage, but insists its clergy must claim tax credits

November 24, 2015
0 Comments

This is a guest post by Harold Pinker (pseudonym) – a Tory-inclined clergyman in the Church of England who fears that his ministry would be impaired (ie his prospects for…

Chartres' Lambeth Lecture: the Church must be "vision-led and not problem-led"

October 5, 2015
0 Comments

While the Archbishop of Canterbury pored over the Blogosphere on his iPad (to which he is apparently rather attached), the Bishop of London psyched himself up for the latest…

Clerics for Corbyn: Bishop of Willesden comes out for 'Alice in Wonderland' politics

August 31, 2015
78 Comments

Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, has joined the Rev'd Giles Fraser and finally come out for Jeremy Corbyn. This is that same Jeremy Corbyn of whom Tony Blair says…

Lower than ermine? Why is Ann Widdecombe not in the House of Lords?

August 29, 2015
116 Comments

One of these is in the House of Lords and oughtn't to be; and one isn't but really, really ought to be. One wonders why. Michelle Mone OBE (left)…

Bishop of Willesden accuses George Osborne of bringing back workhouses

July 28, 2015
173 Comments

You can understand the despair in the House of Bishops. Not only did the Conservative Party win an outright majority in the 2015 General Election, but Labour is in…

If the BBC is "our cultural NHS", it's another state religion

July 18, 2015
32 Comments

According to Shadow Culture Secretary Chris Bryant, the BBC is the nation’s "cultural NHS". He said it to the Royal Television Society, and wrote it for HuffPo UK. And…

The Divine Right of HM Revenue and Customs

July 13, 2015
61 Comments

One expected a tactical Conservative prime minister leading a pragmatic Conservative Party in an expedient Liberal-Conservative coalition to propose or perform the occasional un-conservative thing. It was reasonably politic,…

"Thatcher Rest In Hell" – Durham Miners' Gala rejoice over Thatcher effigy in coffin

July 12, 2015
272 Comments

"The Durham Miners' Association has been shocked and saddened at the news last week of the death of three stalwarts of the socialist and labour movement," wrote the Friends…

Where is the Conservative Party's sense of intergenerational justice?

July 10, 2015
25 Comments

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not…

Cameron's 'One Nation' vision for stronger families is back on track

June 23, 2015
115 Comments

It was a big 'One Nation' speech yesterday from the Prime Minister. He set out his vision for education and plans for welfare reform while visiting the Ormiston Bolingbroke…

Conservatives for Britain – but not if you're on Government payroll

June 8, 2015
41 Comments

"Conservatives for Britain has been formed among Tory parliamentarians to discuss the criteria by which to judge the Government's EU renegotiation. We are willing to consider how to prepare…

The Christian deception about Conservatives and Human Rights

May 26, 2015
212 Comments

There is a lie permeating the Christian social-media detachment that the Conservative quest to repeal New Labour's Human Rights Act amounts to an assault upon fundamental human rights; that…

Vicar regrets not being able to ban Tories from Communion

May 14, 2015
391 Comments

This is a guest post by a (necessarily) anonymous priest of the Church of England. _________ Can I be a Christian and a Conservative? A question which, 50 years ago,…