In depth | Evangelicals Now

'You can’t bomb knowledge': Gospel & geopolitics in Iran

Tim Farron

Over the weekend, the US conducted bombing strikes by air on three sites of nuclear infrastructure in Iran.

President Trump lauded the operation as a "spectacular military success" against the "world’s number one state sponsor of terror", claiming that Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities had been "completely and totally obliterated".

politics & policy

The rise of Reform: How do we restore trust?

Tim Farron

The Reform Party’s current surge in support is rooted in deep public distrust: towards MPs, government and institutions.

Distrust is not new. It manifested itself for years as voter apathy. But it’s now shifting into anger and activism, driven by a decade of acrimonious Brexit debates, economic turmoil and political scandal. Maybe politicians are no better or worse than they ever were, but 24/7 media and the constant attention of those living their lives on social media means that there is much more exposure of their failings today.

Loving your pro-abortion neighbour after THAT vote

Tim Farron

Last night MPs debated the Crime and Policing Bill, and voted by a majority of 242 to decriminalise abortion at any gestation time when a woman has acted in relation to her own pregnancy.

I hope it goes without saying that I have immense compassion for women faced with this impossible decision. The cases of late term abortions in the news recently are deeply sad – often stories of desperation, trauma, and fear.

politics & policy

Should you feel guilty for scrolling past the bad news?

Tim Farron

Do you ever feel like switching off the news? I know I do. Another alert flashes up on your phone, another crisis, and you sigh, “again,” before setting it aside.

And then come the questions: is that wrong? Am I tuning out when the world needs more compassion? Maybe, like me, you’ve seen so much bad news that your heart feels a bit worn out. You scroll past a tragic story not because you don’t care, but because, honestly, constantly caring can feel exhausting.

Trump, Putin, Ukraine - and Bible truth

Tim Farron

We have just marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Foreign leaders gathered in Kyiv to commemorate the invasion and pledge continued support to Ukraine.

President Zelensky has estimated that 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, 380,000 wounded, and 35,000 are missing in action, likely dead.

politics & policy

Stewarding well: Making waves in Westminster

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.

Christians in a world of broken cisterns

Tim Farron

Jeremiah chapter 2 is God’s lament at Israel’s rejection of His saving grace and protection: 'My people have… forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water' (v13).

As we wait in this season of Advent, we look forward to celebrating the source of that deep refreshing spring.

Tim Farron: 'We should not walk away' from assisted dying debate

Tim Farron

Today has been the busiest Friday in the House of Commons for years.

Usually MPs are in our constituencies, focusing on local issues. But today, the Commons chamber was packed. Over 160 MPs sought to express their views on a bill to introduce assisted dying for adults with a terminal illness and less than six months to live.

Polluted politicians?

Tim Farron

Keir Starmer’s political honeymoon didn’t survive the summer. His new government started with a gloomy message of ‘buckle up, this is going to hurt’, while floating tax rises to tackle the public finances.

Then it was revealed that he and some of his colleagues received gifts worth large sums of money in the form of clothing and hospitality. They did not break the rules, but neither did they help to restore the trust in politicians that has been seeping away in recent years.

Tim Farron: 'let's rehumanise politics'

Tim Farron

The General Election this summer saw an influx of 334 new MPs into Parliament – a turnover of more than half the entire House of Commons!

The electoral pendulum swung. In 2015 the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party was almost obliterated; in 2019, Labour suffered heavy losses. In 2024, 252 Conservative MPs lost their seats, plus 38 SNP and a smattering of others. I’m delighted to have the largest number of Lib Dem colleagues ever, but the result is also bittersweet. Some of those who lost are friends of mine, and some lost their seat to my party.

A Liberal Democrat election view: A ‘change’ election

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.

politics & policy

Pursuing Christ alone

Tim Farron

One of the accounts I follow on X is called Exploding Heads. It offers a satirical take on the way we interact with the news, and has a great character called ‘Colin from Portsmouth’ who constantly phones into a radio station to express outrage about the state of the country.

One of the funniest sketches involves him shouting out a ‘list of woke things’ to the bemused radio host, all of which pose a ‘threat to Western civilisation’. They include: The Guardian, the British Army nowadays, almond milk, ‘King Prince Charles’, and the laws of physics.

politics & policy

Get out there, believer...

Tim Farron

A general election is on the horizon. The electoral machine is starting to whir into a frenzy that won’t stop until whenever polling day lands.

Elections mean more than just a reshuffling of politicians or technical adjustments to the nation’s bank account. New governments shape the future. From the big commitments, like tackling the climate crisis, to the small, like promising to save the village post office. Elections are a moment for parties to set out their vision.

politics & policy

Rhetoric and refugees

Tim Farron

Before summer recess, Parliament passed the controversial Illegal Migration Bill, an attempt to stop thousands of small boat crossings from France to the UK.

Criminal gangs are profiteering from desperate people who risk their lives in flimsy dinghies. Everyone agrees they should be stopped.

politics & policy

The nature of leadership

Tim Farron

Last month we witnessed the first coronation in 70 years. Did you avidly follow every moment of the spectacle, dip in and out whilst spending time with friends and family, or ignore it altogether and simply enjoy an extra bank holiday?

There was certainly plenty of debate in the media around the pomp and ceremony, the money that was lavished on the event during a cost of living crisis, and the role of an hereditary monarchy in 2023. Society is increasingly sceptical of tradition, religion and authority, to the extent that we are each encouraged to pick ‘our own truth’ from the morass of information and viewpoints that swirl around us.

UK in transition: Displaying grace in troubled times

Tim Farron

Over the last fortnight, we have said goodbye to our longest reigning monarch, only days after she had said goodbye to her 14th Prime Minister.

With a new king and a new head of government, it’s not surprising that so many of us are feeling a mixture of sorrow and trepidation.

Politics: a mucky business

Tim Farron

Tim Farron, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats, rejoices in God’s faithfulness compared with man’s inconstancy

One of my enduring memories from my early days of politics at university is a Christian mate of mine saying to me: ‘You need to give up on all that politics. It’s a mucky business’.

In Depth: Tim Farron

'You can’t bomb knowledge': Gospel & geopolitics in Iran

The rise of Reform: How do we restore trust?

Loving your pro-abortion neighbour after THAT vote

Should you feel guilty for scrolling past the bad news?

Trump, Putin, Ukraine - and Bible truth

Stewarding well: Making waves in Westminster

Christians in a world of broken cisterns

Tim Farron: 'We should not walk away' from assisted dying debate

Polluted politicians?

Tim Farron: 'let's rehumanise politics'

A Liberal Democrat election view: A ‘change’ election

Pursuing Christ alone

Get out there, believer...

Rhetoric and refugees

The nature of leadership

UK in transition: Displaying grace in troubled times

Politics: a mucky business

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