What are your priorities?

Boris’ Priorities

Last week Boris Johnson posted on my Facebook page telling me his priorities for the country and asking me for mine. Apart from wondering who had funded this marketing campaign, I was deeply disturbed by the underlying message: his top priority, highlighted in bold and set apart, way above any other priority was to deliver Brexit by 31^st October.

I am disturbed at the thought that a prime minister of our country could put, as his top priority – far above any concern for the health, safety and well-being of our citizens, driving through a controversial political decision that many believe will be deeply damaging to our country, and one to which a substantial proportion of the citizens of the country, and their representatives in parliament are opposed.

These past few weeks it has felt as though dark clouds have gathered over our land. Events in Westminster convey a sense of a few unscrupulous men[1] seeking personal power and wealth regardless of what that might mean for our country and for ordinary people.

So what do I think should be the top priorities for our government at this time?

In no particular order, here are my top five:

Ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our society can afford a decent basic standard of living;
Reducing the gross inequalities in wealth and privilege that exist in our society;
Providing affordable and accessible housing for all;
Tackling climate change and environmental damage;
Reversing the impact of years of austerity and ensuring that teachers, police officers, social workers, doctors and nurses have the resources they need to do their jobs well.

To achieve that will inevitably mean higher taxes for those who are financially well off (and I recognise that includes me); it will mean addressing the tax-avoiding activities of individuals and corporations; it will mean substantial investment in public services and housing; it will mean investing in renewable energy and public transport and putting a halt to environmentally damaging projects such as the expansion of Heathrow and HS2.

And therein lies the rub – all of those threaten the wealth, privilege and comfort of those with the money and power who seem to be influencing our current government.

Having received, unsolicited, a post of Boris Johnson’s priorities for our country, I thought I might take the opportunity presented by his survey to tell him what I thought the government’s priorities should be. But, in order to take part in the survey, I had to agree to the Conservative Party using the information I provide to keep me updated via email, online advertisements and direct mail about the Party’s campaigns and opportunities to get involved. That is not something I want to agree to, nor, I suspect, will most others who do not share Boris Johnson’s views. So when, in a few weeks’ time, the prime minister says that the results of his survey of the nation’s views overwhelmingly support his drive to get us out of the EU at all costs, once again, this will be based on biased and distorted data.

[1] it does seem to be men – white, wealthy and public-school-educated – whoops, that describes me, too.

September 17, 2018

Why the Archbishop of Canterbury should wear a Green Party rosette alongside his dog collar

Let justice roll down like rivers

When Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, quoted the prophet Amos, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, in his speech to the Trades Union Congress last week, he – not surprisingly – drew harsh opposition from those in power, including a number of Tory MPs. Ben Bradley, MP for Mansfield tweeted: ‘Not clear to me when or how it can possibly be appropriate for the Archbishop of Canterbury to be appearing at TUC conference or parroting Labour policy’, while his fellow MP in Shipley, Philip Davies, commented that ‘Justin Welby ought to consider removing his dog collar and replacing it with a Labour Party rosette’.

But as the Archbishop pointed out in his speech, the Bible is political – dangerously so.

‘Mary’s song, the Magnificat, central to the New Testament, is so revolutionary that anyone who takes it seriously finds it a threat to power and entitlement.’ – Justin Welby

A Labour Party rosette?

So perhaps Philip Davies is right, and Justin Welby should replace his dog collar with a Labour Party rosette. Perhaps every minister of religion, and indeed any serious follower of Jesus should do so. As Justin Welby pointed out,

‘To speak to the TUC in its 150th year, is to receive the enormous gift of being in the presence of a gathering that has been instrumental over that century and a half in reducing inequality, challenging injustice, and speaking up for the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed.’

And ‘reducing inequality, challenging injustice, and speaking up for the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed’ is precisely what Jesus stood for, so perhaps his followers should be more outspoken in doing so too.

Or a Green Party rosette?

Shortly after Justin Welby’s TUC speech, I received a copy of the new Green Party Political Programme. And, once again, I am impressed with the clear and refreshing agenda they are proposing, and just how much that aligns with the values the Archbishop was expounding in his speech, and how much they align with the Bible and Jesus’ own manifesto of the Sermon on the Mount.

Caring for our environment

Policies to care for our environment, reduce energy consumption, accelerate the roll-out of renewable energy, reduce waste, and protect and care for all animals; promoting creativity

‘We live on an amazing planet, rich in resources and able to sustain an incredible diversity of life. But we cannot take for granted it will always be this way.’ – Green Party Political Programme

‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it’. – The Bible

‘Have a good look at the birds in the sky… Take a tip from the lilies of the countryside…’ – Jesus

Challenging privilege

Making every vote matter; reforming the House of Lords; enabling diversity across politics; ending discrimination; an economy which delivers for the people who make it; tackling workplace exploitation and inequality; introducing a Universal Basic Income

‘Reducing privilege increases the power of ordinary people – of all of us. As the establishment shrinks, democracy grows.’ – Green Party Political Programme

‘At the heart of the Green Party is a belief that everyone is equal, that all lives have intrinsic value and that personal life choices are deserving of dignity.’ – Green Party Political Programme

‘He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

And lifted up the lowly.’ – The Bible

‘Blessings on the meek! You’re going to inherit the earth.’ – Jesus

‘We will take immediate action to deliver real gender equality and to tackle violence against women and girls. We will make misogyny a hate crime and make it easier to challenge media sexism. We will fiercely protect and enhance women’s rights.’ – Green Party Political Programme

‘Whichever of you is without sin should throw the first stone.’ – Jesus to a group of men about to stone a woman ‘caught in adultery’.

Building peace and promoting international friendship

Standing up for migrants and refugees; building bridges; nuclear abolition; increasing international aid

‘We believe in waging peace not war, and are the only Party in England to unambiguously oppose all nuclear weapons, with their potential to end all human life.’ – Green Party Political Programme

‘Whatever the outcome or terms of Brexit, we will continue to stand in fellowship alongside our European neighbours, healing the scars of centuries of conflict through sharing and collaboration.’ – Green Party Political Programme

‘All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’ – The Bible

‘They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.’ – The Bible

‘Blessings on the peacemakers! You’ll be called God’s children.’ – Jesus

Embedding collective kindness in our society

Restoring the NHS; empowering children in education; promoting local services; renewing communities; and supporting disabled people; making housing accessible

‘We envision a country underpinned by well-funded, locally led public services providing care and support for all – a society rooted in kindness.’ – Green Party Political Programme

‘He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich he has sent away empty’ – The Bible

‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you made me welcome. I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you looked after me; I was in prison and you came to me.’ – Jesus

A dog collar and a rosette?

No doubt others of different political and religious persuasions will find lots of gaps in this, see all sorts of ways in which the church has not lived up to the Bible’s teaching or Jesus’ manifesto, or see more alignments with other political parties. And there will be those who would argue that religion and politics don’t mix.

However, it seems to me that if my faith – or anyone else’s for that matter (whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Humanist, or any other belief system) – is not political then it is of no value at all. And it has to be political in a way that promotes justice, peace, diversity, compassion, and care for our environment.

So I don’t think the Archbishop of Canterbury should get rid of his dog collar just yet. But I do think he is right to speak out for justice and to wear a rosette (preferably green) alongside his dog collar.