Westminster Insider

Does Westminster do God?


Listen Later

Alistair Campbell famously once proclaimed of Tony Blair's government: "we don't do God." Two decades on, this week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan goes to the politicians' church St Bartholomew the `Great to find out if that's still true.


She speaks to some of parliament's most prominent Christians about the influence of religion on politics. Liberal Democrat Tim Farron tells Sascha about stepping step down from the leadership of his party after being confronted with a choice between "being a good leader and a good Christian."


Tory MP and evangelical Christian Danny Kruger shares with Sascha how his religion informs his values as a politician and drives the policies he has helped lobby for with Conservative colleagues.


Sascha speaks to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, nicknamed "the rev" because of his faith, about how his support for gay marriage legislation in 2012, led to him being "condemned by the local priest three Sundays in a row." And how, he says, he feels the need to make the case for Christian politics on the left as a louder religious voice emerges in Conservative politics.


POLITICO Playbook reporter Bethany Dawson takes Sascha inside the Alliance for Responsible Citizens conference, where British and American politicians openly called for a return to our "Judeo-Christian foundations."


And Bishop Alan Smith of St Albans makes the case for bishops in the House of Lords, while Lib Dem peer Lorely Burt and journalist Tali Fraser argue that Christian traditions still present in parliament can prove alienating for non believers and people of other faiths.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Westminster InsiderBy POLITICO

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

27 ratings


More shows like Westminster Insider

View all
Politics Weekly UK by The Guardian

Politics Weekly UK

248 Listeners

The New Statesman | UK politics and culture by The New Statesman

The New Statesman | UK politics and culture

142 Listeners

Politics Unpacked by The Times

Politics Unpacked

112 Listeners

Political Fix by Financial Times

Political Fix

147 Listeners

Coffee House Shots by The Spectator

Coffee House Shots

180 Listeners

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson by BBC Radio 4

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

82 Listeners

Newscast by BBC News

Newscast

637 Listeners

Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards by Steve Richards

Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards

50 Listeners

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government by Institute for Government

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

23 Listeners

The News Agents by Global

The News Agents

922 Listeners

Trendy by Tortoise Media

Trendy

1 Listeners

Political Currency by Persephonica

Political Currency

106 Listeners

The Expert Factor by IFS/IfG/UKICE

The Expert Factor

3 Listeners

Politics At Sam and Anne's by Sky News

Politics At Sam and Anne's

28 Listeners

How To Win An Election by The Times

How To Win An Election

20 Listeners