Liberal Democracy

heath eec boris withdrawal agreement sign brexit day

Brexit Day – at last, a wide and liberal global future

January 31, 2020
Archbishop Cranmer
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When the majority of UK voters determined to leave the European Union on 23rd June 2016, it was met with much relief and rejoicing by many millions of people: The majority apprehends the future of British civilisation in terms of…

CofE brexit prayer together peoples vote

Bemused by Brexit? Come to church for tea and prayer – unless your vicar is a Remainer

March 25, 2019
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At this moment of national crisis and international humiliation (which it is), the Church of England is encouraging people to come to church to be 'Together' for a cup of…

Church of England’s Brexit prayers – what exactly do they mean?

March 5, 2019
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A few months ago the Archbishop of York issued a Brexit prayer, or, rather, 'A Prayer for Parliament in Time of Brexit Trouble'. It was a fairly benign effort which…

Why didn’t the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum speak up for Tim Farron?

November 29, 2017
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Former LibDem leader Tim Farron delivered the Theos Annual Lecture last night, entitled: 'What Kind of Liberal Society Do We Want?' The whole speech is worth reading, because it is…

Christian parliamentary candidate in Bradford excluded from Muslim only election hustings

May 17, 2017
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George Grant is the Conservative Party's parliamentary candidate in Bradford West. He also happens to be a Christian, and is thereby excluded from Bradford's Muslim Women's Council General Election hustings,…

Ukip's "positive vision" for British Islam: ban all Muslim schools

August 8, 2016
278 Comments

Ukip has a Muslim problem, which is fine if they're not particularly concerned about courting the Muslim vote, but not fine if it leads to the formulation of policies…

Batley and Spen by-election: you don't respect a murdered MP by suspending democracy

June 19, 2016
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"Following the tragic killing of Labour MP Jo Cox, the Conservative Party has decided not to contest the forthcoming by-election as a mark of respect to a much-loved and…

Sadiq Khan is Muslim. Get over it!

May 7, 2016
360 Comments

Sadiq Khan has been elected the first Muslim mayor of London. Muslim, Muslim, Muslim. Islam, Islam, Islam. The council-estate sons and daughters of Pakistani bus drivers are taking over…

What British Muslims Really Think, or what Christians need to rethink?

April 14, 2016
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Channel 4's documentary What British Muslims Really Think informed us that 52% of them want homosexuality to be outlawed; 39% believe that a woman should always obey her husband;…

Sovereignty is inviolable: it belongs to the people, not to Parliament

February 22, 2016
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Sovereignty ultimately belongs to God, but in a liberal democracy it is the people – or ought to be the people – who, as members of civil society, work…

Don't gloat over Stephen Fry quitting Twitter: he's an ally in the battle for freedom

February 16, 2016
356 Comments

During the Bafta ceremony on Sunday evening, Stephen Fry made an acerbic comment about the dress sense of one of the award winners. He referred to Jenny Beavan's appearance…

The Investigatory Powers Bill will tell the police you read this blog

November 4, 2015
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The mainstream media is full of stories of checks and balances, U-turns and climbdowns. The so-called Snooper's Charter (aka Investigatory Powers Bill) will target only terrorists and extremists, we…

Warwick University Student Union incites hatred by banning criticism of Islam

September 27, 2015
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The timeline: 1. Warwick Atheists, Secularists and Humanists (WASH) applies to have Maryam Namazie – a prominent, intelligent, secularist political activist – speak at the university. 2. Warwick University…

The Church must challenge the State's fuzzy 'British Values'

September 23, 2015
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Fundamental British values have been defined by the Government as: “the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs." According…

Compassionate Conservatism and Social Justice – bedfellows or bugbears?

September 15, 2015
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Talk to most Labour supporters about 'compassionate conservatism', and they'll scoff at the very notion, as though the evil Tories had stolen the robe of Christ and were masquerading…

Labour has become the party of terrorists, extremists and radical revolutionaries

September 14, 2015
117 Comments

"We now have a leader who is as extreme and as hard left as any leader we have ever had including Keir Hardie. We have got a leader who…

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)…

Jeremy Corbyn's path to power is more plausible than people think

July 24, 2015
210 Comments

Usually somewhere between three and 30 people avail themselves of the #Amen prayer facility at the bottom of this blog's Home Page. Since it was installed, the most believers…

Cameron can no more "destroy the Caliphate" than he can abolish the New Jerusalem

July 21, 2015
190 Comments

David Cameron's long-awaited speech on Islamic extremism (aka Islamism) was sort of worth waiting for. As he expounded his 'One Nation' vision to defeat the "poison" of extremism, he…

The Divine Right of HM Revenue and Customs

July 13, 2015
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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,…