Archbishop: Britain split and crushed by Brexit and austerity
THE Archbishop of Canterbury today makes a dramatic state- of- the- nation plea by warning that a combination of Brexit and austerity is opening up a ‘ schism’ in society and ‘crushing the weak, the sick and many others’.
In the most powerful political i ntervention by a church l eader for decades, Justin Welby describes our impending departure from the EU as the biggest challenge for society since the end of the Second World War.
In comments that will be read nervously in Downing Street, the archbishop uses an article for today’s Mail on Sunday to take aim at policy failures in housing, healthcare and eduction. And he uses last year’s Grenfell Tower tragedy, which claimed the lives of 71 people, to warn of a growing housing crisis. Grenfell remains a highly sensitive subject for Theresa May and her Government, particularly after singer Stormzy questioned the Prime Minister’s response to the fire at the Brit Awards last week.
The archbishop balances his critique by arguing that ‘with our history, gifts, heritage of ethics and behaviour… we have every reason for hope’, and says that ‘we have reimagined ourselves before, after 1945 for example’. But his remarks will remind No 10 of the furore over the publication in 1985 of Archbishop Robert Runcie’s Faith In The City, which highlighted the failure of Margaret Thatcher’s policies to alleviate poverty and poor housing.
In his article for this newspaper, Welby says: ‘ Brexit has divided the country – and now we need a new narrative. One that is rooted in all that is best in our history – solidarity, courage, aspiration, resilience and care for each other.
‘There is a danger that there is a schism in our society into which the most vulnerable are falling. Austerity is crushing the weak, the sick and many others.’
He makes a pointed plea for a liberal approach to immigration, at a time when Ministers are debating whether to allow EU citizens the right to stay in the UK if they arrive during the Brexit transition period.
Welby, who backed the Remain campaign, writes: ‘Welcoming strangers to our own country and integrating them into our own culture is important. We must be generous and allow ourselves to change with the newcomers and create a deeper, richer way of life.’
He goes on to identify housing as one of the most pressing problems in Britain: ‘We must build proper homes – and have a housing policy that is about creating communities, not just bricks and mortar.’
The archbishop, whose new book Reimagining Britain is published later this month, concludes: ‘We must use hope to heal for the future. We must be a warm, welcoming nation.’