A standing ovation for his words of wisdom

LIKE the Labour Party, the trade union movement is often described as a broad church.

But rarely do the comrades ask the head of the Church of England to deliver a sermon in person.

So the appearance of Justin Welby, Archbishop of

Canterbury, at the Trades Union Congress yesterday was a heaven-sent opportunity for spiritual guidance.

He had a difficult act to follow. The Messiah, aka Shadow Chancellor John Mcdonnell, who appeared the day before, had promised the earth when

Labour gets into power.

Welby, a former oil industry executive, expressed fears that he might be received “with a certain amount of scepticism by some”. He need not have worried. By comparison with the Labour Conference, the TUC is a den of herbivores.

EVIL

His utterly brilliant speech was heard in rapt silence, punctuated by applause for support for a “real” living wage and condemnation of companies like Amazon that pay virtually no tax.

Archbishop Welby excoriated the view held by some today that oppression of the employed is a virtue, adding: “The gig economy, with its zero-hours contracts, is nothing new.

“It is simply a reincarnation of an ancient evil.”

Answering unscripted questions from delegates, he insisted “joining a union is a good thing”. And: “Universal credit is causing intense suffering. If they can’t get it right they ought to stop rolling it out.”

He was given a long standing ovation, at least as warm as that given to the Shadow Chancellor, though he had only words, not promises of legal powers, to give.

Archbishop Welby is not the first to address Congress.

George Carey came in 1997, and Archbishop Campbell Tait had a formal meeting with the TUC as far back as 1879.

They probably brought the same message. But like yesterday, they were essentially preaching to the converted, not to those in power against whom Archbishop Welby railed so passionately in Manchester.