politics & policy
We need more love for our politicians
David Burrowes
Date posted: 29 Nov 2024
Politics at least for the last eight years has been a tale of the unexpected, but what has sadly but not surprisingly been consistent has been the low view the public have for politicians.
In the league table of who you trust, politicians are always in the relegation zone, and this is matched by the growing disinterest and disdain for politics. But Christians, we have to do better and be distinctive in our view of politics, particularly when our politicians let us down.
politics & policy
No – this is what we learn from William Wilberforce
David Burrowes
Date posted: 1 Apr 2024
For many Christians in politics the example of Wilberforce in his tireless campaign to abolish the transatlantic slave trade is a model to follow. So too for much of the Christian public as they look to Christian MPs to stand up for their Christian principles.
I recall Ann Widdecombe telling a tale of when she was out campaigning in her old constituency of Maidstone in an open-top car with her loudhailer and a bunch of leaflets entitled ‘My Christian Principles’. Suddenly a big gust of wind blew her leaflets out of the window leading Ann to shout, still with loudhailer to hand, ‘I’ve lost my Christian principles’!
Called to pray: In Parliament, in prison and in war
David Burrowes
Date posted: 17 Jul 2025
Have you been praying for the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei recently?
Actually maybe you have, given the Trump self-declared “12 day” war between Israel and Iran. I pray that by the time this article reaches you the conflict in the Middle East will have not escalated into a full-blown global war.
politics & policy
Are you sympathetic to politicians? I doubt it
David Burrowes
Date posted: 1 Jan 2024
As you begin
to break
those
New
Year’s
resolutions,
it may make
you more sympathetic to politicians trying
to keep their promises - but I doubt it.
I imagine for some of you politicians are
only good for Christmas cracker jokes or
as the villains in panto season. In the ‘who
do I trust’ league, politicians are always at
the bottom, with the only change being
who they are joined by (recently, much to
the relief of my former colleagues, pollsters
replaced car salesman!). So, do you join with
the seasonal, perennial mirth and derision?
letter from America
‘I can’t avoid writing about Donald Trump...’
David Burrowes
Date posted: 20 Mar 2025
I know it’s tempting, but I can’t avoid writing about Donald Trump. Having been at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C., the impact of Donald Trump and how Christians should respond looms large.
So to the US Capitol, where just a week after President Trump’s inauguration the talk of the town was of the first set of executive orders being fired off, calling a national emergency on the southern border to stop illegal migration and USAID freezing all aid programmes.
politics & policy
Do you pray for our Parliament? Now is the time.
David Burrowes
Date posted: 6 Sep 2024
St Paul wrote about its primacy, Christian political greats like William Wilberforce banged on about it and Parliament can’t begin without it. What am I talking about? Prayer of course!
We look on politics and our leaders with a variety of feelings: ranging from a healthy Romans 13 respect to a cynical ‘Have I Got News’ sigh. But do we really pray for them?
A Conservative election view: Building on the past
David Burrowes
Date posted: 1 Jul 2024
As a Christian Conservative I have a realistic view of politics and the role of the state, which leans on the fundamental Biblical understanding of a fallen humanity (Gen. 3) in need of Christ’s redemption.
Conservatives do not use a blank canvas to paint a plan to fit in with the needs of a modern age, nor do we seek to impose an ideological blueprint on society, and certainly not misuse a Biblical one. Rather, Conservatism is the idea that we can build on what needs conserving from the past.
Kemi Badenoch ‘understands Christian values’
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 2 Dec 2024
David Burrowes, former Tory MP and Co-Director of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, says new party leader Kemi Badenoch understands the importance of Christian values.
‘Kemi Badenoch has grown up in a Christian household and knows about the importance of Christian values as the foundation of family and community life,’ he said. ‘CCF looks forward to helping her renewal of Conservatism by listening to Britain’s faith communities about what the previous government got wrong and what we need to do to put it right.’
news in brief
Felix Ngole
Felix Ngole is taking legal action against a health and wellbeing charity after claiming his job offer as a mental health support worker was withdrawn after discovering his Christian beliefs on marriage.
With the support of the Christian Legal Centre, Ngole is suing Touchstone Support Leeds for religious discrimination. The case was being heard at an employment tribunal in Leeds at the start of April. A ruling has yet to be handed down. In 2019, the Court of Appeal allowed Ngole’s appeal against a ruling that his removal from a university social work course was lawful, after comments made on social media in support of traditional Biblical teaching on marriage.
Eighty enjoy boost in Birmingham
Roland Burrows
Date posted: 1 May 2024
The 14th Birmingham Conference arranged by the committee of Christian Worship was held in March at Ebenezer Chapel, Old Hill, West Midlands.
Up to 80 people attended the conference, where several speakers spoke on a wide range of Scriptures.
Christians in Parliament: a former MP writes
Date posted: 1 Feb 2021
Dear Editor,
There was much in James Mildred’s article in the December issue of en under the headline ‘MPs are ignorant about true Christianity’ which I agreed with, not least the need for consistent engagement motivated by a desire to serve the common good, witnessing to the whole revelation of God’s word, and to speak truth to power. However, the headline is not helpful for such engagement, because whatever our view about the government there are actually more MPs who do understand true Christianity, and numerically there are probably more evangelical Christian MPs than ever before.
RSE: facts or fiction?
David Burrowes
Date posted: 1 Jul 2019
Dear Sir,
The article ‘Parents, take back control’ in the May issue of en mixes a correct assertion of parents’ rights to ensure teaching conforms with their religious convictions with an incorrect interpretation of the Government’s new Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum requirement. To suggest that the proposals amount to ‘a form of child grooming’ and ‘opens the door to sexual predators’ is, I am afraid, scaremongering and must be challenged.
So, Tim Farron, has liberalism eaten itself?
en speaks to former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron about his life, his faith and his new book, A Better Ambition
en: What made you decide you wanted to write a book?
EU: Let’s leave
David Burrowes
Date posted: 1 Jun 2016
David Burrowes MP tells us why he will be voting for Britain to exit the European Union on 23 June
As a politician, my view about the EU referendum is a simple one of keeping a promise – to my constituents before the General Election.
Ofsted - 'not in my youth camp'
David Burrowes
Date posted: 1 Feb 2016
In a letter published in the Telegraph in January, Christian MP David Burrowes responds to the apparent intention of Ofsted to insist on the registration of Church youth groups.
'Last week Open Doors published their World Watch List of the persecution of Christians by country. Christians are all too aware of the increasing threats to religious freedom from militant Islam. So the Government's plan to tackle radicalisation is welcome. However, it is both ironic and wrong to catch Christian groups in a blanket requirement for registration and inspection of "out of school" education of more than 6 to 8 hours a week.
Marriage goes missing
Conservative Home
Date posted: 1 May 2017
Christian Conservative MP David Burrowes
raised concerns in April that the government
is not focussing enough on supporting marriage in its efforts to tackle UK poverty.
Writing
in
an
article
for
the
blog
Conservative Home, Mr Burrowes claimed
that the government’s new ‘Improving Lives:
Helping Workless Families’ policy paper is
more meaningful than Brexit ‘for the lives
lost to worklessness, addiction, family breakdown, debt and homelessness’.
Sunday is saved once again
EN
Date posted: 1 Apr 2016
David Burrowes MP described the 9 March Commons vote on the Sunday Trading Bill as ‘a relief ’. The result of 317 to 286 saw the plans to open up shops for longer on Sundays defeated as he led a cross-party ‘unholy alliance’ who united around a concern to keep Sunday special.
David Burrowes said to en: ‘One of the key concerns in the debate was the way the Government tried to introduce the law change. It was tacked onto the Enterprise Bill at a late stage of the Commons proceedings. The impact assessment and significantly the family impact (which was largely negative) was only published hours before the debate. The Government tried to broker a late concession by proposing a pilot scheme but their amendment was not allowed.
Christ's ambassadors, united by faith across nations
Despite not really liking Ferrero Rocher chocolates, I have spent a lot of time over the last five years with ambassadors – first as the former Prime Minister’s Deputy Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, and now as I finish my time as Adviser to the Chair of the Article 18 Alliance of religious freedom envoys.
Ambassadors can be seen in public but rarely heard. Like the best referees or umpires, whom you don’t really notice until after the match that they have done a good job (although the old cricket umpire legend the late Dicky Bird was of course an exception). It is why the recent public criticism around former US Ambassador Peter Mandelson proved fatal to his career.