Real diversity means respecting Christianity

Today marks the high point of the Christian calendar, with the resurrection of Jesus exemplifying the Bible’s promise of life after death. Yet for many believers, to express their faith in the public realm, whether on television or in Parliament, is increasingly to be met by opposing incredulity – not just in the Christian story itself, but in the very idea that any religion and any religious opinions can or should have a part to play in shaping the life of our nation.

Shortly before the period of Lent that preceded this weekend’s great celebration, the MP Danny Kruger, a devout Christian, suggested that his faith had been “a disadvantage” in his political career. That is an astonishing statement, given that, as MP for Don Valley Nick Fletcher said in a recent Westminster debate, “so many of the laws and values we now take for granted have their roots firmly in the Christian faith”.

Today indifference – or even scorn – can greet those Christians (and increasingly, practising members of other religions) who allow their beliefs to shape their cultural or political outlook. Kruger has met censure for his views on abortion and on the right to die. But these are among the most sensitive issues that society must tackle. The idea that any lasting path through them can be found without input from all sides, including from people of faith, is misguided. A secular political monoculture, a new post-Christian governing faith, orientated exclusively around the Left-liberal, post-national, increasingly “progressive” mainstream cannot be healthy. Yet it is precisely that which Mr Kruger suggests now prevails.

It is true that the numbers of those who declare themselves to be Christian has been steadily falling in recent years, with the latest census data revealing that just 46.2 per cent of the English and Welsh population say they are Christian – a decline of 13.1 percentage points in a decade. But if Britain is now a minority Christian country, then Christians should be afforded the same tolerance and respect that we demand and expect for other minorities. Faithful people of all creeds need to be able to express their views without fear of marginalisation or ridicule. Those liberals who preach the doctrine of diversity should accept that true diversity must welcome religiously inspired opinions that lie outside the confines of their orthodoxy. This Sunday, with its promise of new beginnings, could not be a better moment to start. Happy Easter to all.

Scots deserve choice

After 16 years of Nationalist political domination in Scotland, including three successive general elections in which the SNP has won all but a handful of seats, it is understandable that both Labour and the Conservatives are keen to exploit as fully as possible the disarray in which Hamza Yousaf ’s party now finds itself. After the debacle of Nicola Sturgeon’s departure and the arrest this week of her husband Peter Murrell, even SNP stalwarts now concede the party faces a significant crisis and that its independence aspirations lie in tatters. Polls suggest that it could lose as many as 18 seats at the next Westminster election. In what, for them, has long been a political desert, Scottish Labour and Tory MPs are now spotting an oasis.

No wonder that they are tempted to form mutual non-aggression pacts to maximise their chances. By one narrow, overly simplistic measure, it makes sense. Scottish Tories will target largely rural seats, while Labour will aim to capture urban constituencies. But for voters, the logic is much less clear. They deserve a choice that is more than simply between Nationalist or Unionist parties. They need to be able to vote for a political manifesto that espouses lower taxes and less regulation, a smaller state and a rejection of the kind of woke ideology that saw Sturgeon disastrously send a transgender rapist to a women’s prison. If Scottish Tories effectively pull out of some races, many Scottish voters will be left with no chance to back that vision of a more prosperous future. They deserve the robust debate and advocacy of such ideas that only genuine political competition can deliver. Conservative HQ should ensure that its candidates north of the border pull no punches in setting out and defending the party’s core tenets in the forthcoming election.

A victory for common sense

Last week this newspaper revealed growing concerns about draconian new regulations on the brink of becoming law which could have had a chilling effect both on private business and vital public services. This week, happily, we can report that the Worker Protection Bill, which would have made employers liable for staff being offended by the behaviour of “third parties” entirely beyond their control, will no longer receive Government support and thus not make it onto the statute books. The move, which will avoid unintended consequences such as employers having to vet conversations like “a police state”, is a victory for common sense. It is a reminder to the Government that extreme vigilance must be the order of the day lest bad legislation – in this case, originating from the Lib Dems – creeps in almost unnoticed. Kemi Badenoch, in her role as Minister for Women and Equalities, is to be applauded for getting rid of this dreadful Bill.