Mr Pickles wants us all to go back to church
By Terry Sanderson
If you want to see what makes a populist MP, you need look no further than Eric Pickles, who represents Brentwood and Ongar in Essex. He has all traits of the classic populist politico: he is plain-speaking, knows what he likes and, more importantly, he purports to know what “the people” like. He is also ill-informed, ignorant and seemingly inclined to believe anything he’s told by the Daily Mail.
He also happens to be — good grief! — the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Mr Pickles is introducing a programme of reforms which seem to be based on editorials he has read in the Sun and the Daily Express. They rely heavily upon ridiculous and untrue challenges to “political correctness” and a return to “Christian values”.
He trumpets himself as a champion of community spirit. He wants to turn us all into volunteers again (where once we were paid workers), preferably in the service of our betters in the Church.
In an article in the Sunday Express, Mr Pickles is said to be “looking to the church’s role in our communities for inspiration” for his plans for social action. He told the paper: “One of the things I want to do is to use the pastoral experience of the Church of England and the Catholic Church in getting out there into the community.”
He magnanimously adds: “I am not going to make prayers compulsory or insist that people have to attend religious festivals – but I am determined to recognise that pastoral work, particularly in difficult areas, is something I want to build on.”
This is a response to the churches’ constant carping that they are being “marginalised” and “sidelined”. They complained endlessly under Labour that they were unable to get their hands on the public money to which they consider themselves entitled.
That’s something Mr Pickles intends to put right. He said: “I am determined to ensure that Christians are not seen as some kind of strange sidelined religion. Religious tolerance is immensely important. Religion has a valued and important role in binding our society together and is a vital part of the cultural fabric of the English and British nations. Labour tried to force Britons to turn their back on faith and heritage in the name of political correctness.”
But religious bodies should beware of the blandishments of politicians like Mr Pickles. He is trying to unload his fearsome problems on to the church for the price of a few grants which will eventually dry up. The church, not the Government, will then take the rap for cutting services.
Mr Pickles then hit out at “puffed up” council bosses for banning prayers and “beanbag-sitting weirdos” for “abolishing Christian festivals” for fear of upsetting other religions. (See what I mean about Daily Mail editorials?) He then regaled us with the oft-repeated fantasies about “Labour-run councils who re-named Christmas Winterval and Winter-ice.”
Warming to his theme, he commented: “Can you honestly tell me someone has ever said to you ‘Merry Winter-ice? No they have not. Winter festivals exist only in the minds of a few bean bag-sitting weirdos.”
And can you, Mr Pickles, please name the local authority that re-branded Christmas as Winter-ice? We know of no such authority.
But then up steps the Christian Institute — that paragon of rectitude that wouldn’t dream of putting these stupid, untrue stories about — to warn Mr Pickles that he will have a “battle on his hands” to grapple with the secularists, which it says caused one council to “ban Christmas” in favour of the Winter Light Festival and another ban the phrase “singing from the same hymn sheet” because it might offend.
These stories have, of course, been repeatedly discredited, but they’re too useful not to resurrect every time anyone wants to get people hot under the collar. But let’s not forget, the last person who wanted to ban the celebration of Christmas was the Christian fanatic Oliver Cromwell.
But Mr Pickles says he is determined to ditch ‘political correctness’ in favour of a ‘whatever works’ strategy. And that seems to include leading the public up the garden path and talking drivel.
And that goes for his advisor, Frances Davis, too. He suggests in a pamphlet The Big Society – A View from the South that the Queen impose a 1% “tithe” on everybody’s income which can then be given to, for example, the Catholic Church... er, that is to say, “charity”. He also thinks that money intended for the police could be redirected to religious groups that are working in difficult areas and purportedly cutting crime. The pamphlet is full of the kind of crackpot ideas that Mr Pickles might be attracted to.
However, populist Pickles is going to have to work very hard to keep his admirers on board when the time comes for the 40 per cent cuts in his department’s budget that are threatened. He says it won’t affect front line services aimed at children and old folk. Yeah, right. We believe you, Wilfred.
The hard truth is that 600,000 public sector jobs will go and the cutbacks will lay waste to front line services. But fear not, the Church is waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces of our shattered lives. Faith-based welfare is to be our saviour, and that’s what Mr Pickles is banking on.
Mr Pickles himself is unlikely to suffer during the days of austerity, though. Not if this story is anything to go by
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