More religious MPs who can’t shut up about it

And now to another little coterie of MPs who seem to think bringing the electorate to Jesus is part of their job.

Labour MP and “committed Christian” Stephen Timms (who is also the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform) has called on other Christians to enter parliament, telling them it is possible to be an MP without compromising religious beliefs. Mr Timms told an audience at an event organised by the evangelical political group CARE that being a politician and a Christian is no more conflicting than being a Christian in any other job. “I think a lot of Christians do not get involved [in politics] because they fear a conflict of morals – but it does not happen that much,” said Timms. He added, “Politics really needs input from people of faith.”

Timms was joined at the event by fellow Christian MPs, David Burrowes, Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate and Shadow Justice Minister, and Simon Hughes, Lib Dem MP for Southwark North and Bermondsey and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.

Asked why politicians appear so reluctant to talk about faith publicly, the panel said that most MPs do actually discuss faith regularly but the media is either indifferent or hostile towards the issue (do any of these people read the papers, watch television or listen to the radio? See preceding story). The panel referred to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who recently admitted that he did not talk about his faith publicly for fear of being branded “a nutter”. Timms said, “Tony Blair did talk of faith before being elected [Prime Minister] and he got a lot of negative press.” All three MPs unanimously agreed that being a Christian actually helped their work as MPs rather than hinder it.
16 May 2008