The Rise of the Religious Right?

On the Mid and West Wales Regional List at the recent Assembly elections, there were a number of fringe candidates and parties vying for our votes. Perhaps the most interesting of the newcomers were the “religious” parties, the Christian Peoples Alliance, who I think fielded candidates on other regional lists, and the Welsh Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship” which appears to have its headquarters in my ward in Llandrindod Wells.

In Mid and West Wales, the Christian Peoples Alliance polled 413 votes and the Welsh Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship” polled 1493 votes. On the face of it, not a terribly impressive showing, on a par with the Communists and Veritas and the two Independents, Caroline Evans and Gwynoro Jones. However, this does not mean that the entry into Welsh politics of the religious right can afford to be ignored.

We know that right wing Christian groups in the USA have a significant and not altogether beneficial effect on Republican politics, especially in the Deep South. Less well known is the considerable influence of the pro-Israeli Jewish lobby on both Republican and Democrats in the USA. What is curious is the connection and mutual support that exists between the Evangelical Christian lobby groups and the pro-Israeli lobby groups in the States and the extent to which they have forged a common political stance.

Until recently, the overt political activism of religious groups has been a relatively trivial issue for us in the UK, but I have little doubt that religious groups will seek to exert increasing influence on politics in the UK in the future. We have already seen wealthy, religiously-motivated backers of a number of city academies in England and the ensuing debate on the teaching of creationism. Now we have Tony Blair revealing his strong religious views and how they permeated much of what he did during his Premiership, we even suspect that the Bush-Blair attitude towards Iraq may have been directed by the religious convictions of both men.

Here in Wales, a number of us are exercised over the statutory requirement for a daily act of religious observance in our schools and the differential, even the special treatment, given to Church aided and Church maintained schools across Wales and how they and their diocesan sponsors have influenced the schools modernisation agenda.

My point is not that such religious influences that I have mentioned are necessarily good or bad, beneficial or malign, but simply that there should be a clear separation between matters of State and matters of Church, between the secular and the Divine. When it comes to questions of government and governance, I would prefer a system of pragmatism based on the outcomes of wide-ranging debate rather than on the strict adherence to any particular dogma. In short, I reserve the right to disagree with whoever seeks to impose a particular ideology or creed on me, and what I choose to say or do. This is a basic freedom that we all take for granted, but one that might not be so obvious to all on all occasions.

Richard Livsey - A Man of Integrity

A grand occasion at The Manor, Crickhowell last night as the Farmers Union of Wales, together with Barclays Bank plc, honoured Richard, The Lord Livsey of Talgarth for his outstanding services to Welsh agriculture. The formal tributes came from Professor E Wynne Jones, Roger Williams MP and Euryn Jones of Barclays Bank, and they were both warm and glowing. Picking one such tribute by way of example, it was said that when Richard decided to embark on a political career, he was too much of a gentleman to make a politician. We all knew what was meant, but it belies his wonderful effectiveness as a politician, his dedication and his sheer hard work.

An interesting notion was that Richard had moved from ‘gentleman’ to ‘statesman’ almost without the passing through the intervening stage of ‘politician’. A thoughtful tribute this, but one which almost says as much about the public’s current regard for politicians in these sleaze-ridden times as it does about Richard’s statesmanlike qualities. A common theme from all the speakers during the evening was Richard’s integrity, and this is clearly what impresses all who have the privilege to know Richard, regardless of where on the political spectrum your affinities lie. A man, grounded in agriculture and agricultural education, who has risen to become the most respected expert on agricultural matters in the corridors of parliament, and throughout his long career, it is his integrity that constantly shines through.

It was a superb evening with convivial guests from agriculture and politics and it was topped with a wonderful serving of Welsh mutton from Mutton Renaissance.