‘Do turkeys vote for Christmas?’ A general election is not too far away and a letter in EN (August) asked provocatively whether we should vote for any political party if the result was Christians being marginalised and persecuted.
Well, as a Member of Parliament since 2005 and Parliamentary Chairman and co-founder of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, I was duly provoked to respond. Another time I would be pleased to answer specific concerns about party policy, and I am sure politicians from other parties will also have an opportunity in the run up to the general election to make their case if they want to in EN. For now, there is a question which goes deeper about why bother at all about party politics.
Little respect for government
During the middle of the storm over MPs’ expenses I attended a Premier Christian Radio event in Central Hall with a cross party group of politicians and church leaders. At the meeting a survey revealed that only 80% of Christians intended to vote. In September I spoke at a local church group in my constituency of Enfield Southgate. I asked those present to put up their hands if they had respect for the institution of government, then church, then marriage. One hand out of 80 went up for government while nearly everyone put up their hands for church and marriage.