Illiberal liberals gang up on Philip Giddings

It was predictable that Philip Giddings would sur vive the ‘no confidence’ motion in the House of Laity last week. The inadvisable meeting, which cost tens of thousands to stage, was based on the entire nonsense that the elected officers of Synod had a duty to be neutral even when they were not in the chair. This has never been the case in my memory of decades of covering General Synod meetings.

The real reason for opposing Philip Giddings became clear during the meeting as speaker after speaker expressed animosity towards conser vative evangelicalism and in particular the Anglican Mainstream grouping of which Mr Giddings is convener.

These rather extr eme and illiberal liberals ar e the equivalent of any so-called ‘fundamentalists’ they profess to deplore. I would prefer illiberal liberals not to hold high of fice in the Church of England in any capacity but I recognise that the Church of England is a broad church and a cer tain amount of tolerance comes with the territory of being Anglican. It is a shame that they find it so dif ficult to concede any such reciprocal generosity.

An unusual service from St Martin-in-the-Fields

Yesterday’s Radio 4 morning ser vice from St Martin-in-the-Fields, marked the inauguration of President Barack Obama. I cannot think that the BBC or St Martin’s would hold such a ser vice for a Republican President. Nor would they do so for a British Prime Minister.