A broad church no more?

To The Times

For decades, evangelical Christians and secular humanists found a happy home within the Liberal Democrats, united around a common mission of social justice and economic prosperity. Now it appears that this productive coexistence is not enough.

A fine party leader has been found wanting: not through

his actions, but because of what some party grandees think that he thinks.

William Gladstone would struggle to be adopted as a parliamentary candidate in today’s Lib Dem party – let alone go on to be leader and prime minister. Paul Harrod, Bristol