Archbishop slams ‘hatred’ headlines

THE Archbishop of Canterbury yesterday criticised newspaper headlines “which seem conditioned to stir up hatred”.

Justin Welby, pictured right, criticised the use of language such as “mutineers” and “public enemies” in the debate over Brexit.

The Daily Telegraph branded a group of Tory MPs “mutineers” amid claims they were preparing to rebel over Brexit legislation making its way through Parliament. The Daily Mail, meanwhile,

dubbed High Court judges “enemies of the people” after they ruled that Parliament would have a vote on triggering the Brexit process.

“I think there needs to be much more discipline in our use of language,” the Archbishop told ITV’s Peston on Sunday.

“The use of expressions about public enemies, the use of stuff like mutineers, all these headlines which seem conditioned to stir up hatred.

“There is a responsibility on anyone who is setting public opinion to say, yes, disagree, we’re a democracy, of course we disagree, robustly, sometimes very toughly.

“But we have to say we’re part of the same country and we will not surmount the challenge of Brexit or not Brexit without unity.”

Mr Welby also told the programme the Irish border issue was “one of the toughest and most difficult and most urgent issues we’ve got to face” in the Brexit talks.