Christians and the new political landscape

The votes have been counted, the seats filled, and the pundits have finished poring over the statistics.

So what lies ahead for our country? EN asked veteran politician Sir Fred Catherwood to comment.

You never can tell with politics. I thought it a firm rule that a government could not run for a second term on the same set of promises. It had to show that it could deliver. And I thought that the narrow nationalism of the Tories since they ditched their moderate leaders would prevail over the ingrained common sense of the British people. I was wrong twice over.

For Christians who believe in taking care of the 'alien' and loving our neighbours, the Tory demonisation of asylum seekers and hostility to our near neighbours in Europe was appalling. Its very firm rebuff is a great relief. The Oldham riots have shown the continuing problems. But for success we need a government which deals fairly with all citizens. The attempt to whip up popular feeling against the Euro was also a failure. Education, health and transport ranked far higher in people's priorities.

An unenthusiastic landslide

That was why people voted again for Labour. But Labour's lack of performance over four years curbed the voters' enthusiasm, especially in the Labour heartlands, leading to a record low turnout. And, outside the heartlands, there was a marked switch of votes to the Liberal Democrats, who now have over 50 seats in Parliament. Unless the Tories get their act together, the LibDems will grow to stature as the real opposition. Charles Kennedy's quiet reasonableness had a strong appeal.

The first opinion poll on the Tory leadership shows that the voters warm to Ken Clarke and the party to Portillo. The party's capacity to regain power depends on whether it chooses what the voters want. The Tories must regain their old pragmatism, or see a decisive swing to the LibDems. It also needs Ken Clarke at the despatch box to keep Labour's performance up to the mark.

The funds needed for the new investment in schools, hospitals and transport have to come from higher taxes or higher growth. The soundest option is to go for export-led growth. This means dealing with the pressing problem of the overvaluation of the pound by 25%. It has already ruined most of Britain's farmers, closed the biggest steel works in Wales, reduced the three great car plants, Longbridge, Dagenham and Luton, from mainstream to marginal plants.

We are in a single European market and 100% of the British market is open to continental imports whose costs, at current exchange rates, are way below ours. I believe that a single market needs a single currency and we need British entry to the Euro-Zone at a competitive rate for the pound. There is little doubt that that will be the Prime Minister's first priority. We have had no sovereignty over the pound since the war, and, if the government really had sovereignty, why did the pound lose half its purchasing power during Mrs. Thatcher's ten years in power?

The Irish question

The gains of Sinn Fein and the DUP in Northern Ireland show up the lack of political flexibility in the Belfast Agreement. There is no political precedent for this constitution, which makes the Administration dependent on the support of all parties. Constitutions have to allow for the normal disagreements of the political process. The hope is that the new generation in the DUP, such as the newly elected Nigel Dodds, will not want to destroy what has been achieved with such difficulty. If, as looks likely, Sinn Fein cannot deliver the decommissioning which the Belfast Agreement promised by June 30, then the Agreement has to be reconsidered. But it is in no one's interests to destroy it.

Radio blackout

One urgent concern for Christians is the refusal of the last government to renew the licence of London Premier Radio on the grounds that it is not a 'multi-faith' station. Christians around the world argue for religious tolerance and our faith in the power of the Christian message gives us no fear of an open market in ideas. Indeed, we have more in common with other religions than with the secular humanism that rules our political class today.

But each religion has a very different world-view. The Sikhs of Punjab produce one kind of society, the Hindus in the rest of India another. The Muslims and Jews also have very different views. It is absurd to think that all these different world-views can be mixed with Christianity into one radio station. If it is important, let each religion have its own, on our newly-expanded range of wavebands, but do not expropriate a Christian station which is of enormous help to the churches and congregations in and around our capital city. That would be a hostile and damaging act. But maybe that was its intention.

Christians and the new political landscape

An unenthusiastic landslide

The Irish question

Radio blackout

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