One of the nice things about Christianity is that it offers hope in a hopeless world, and the final word latest start – the brand new birth. Nothing else comes near to that. Indeed, every other idol offering these finally ends up being false. Which is why I even have been really surprised at the just about evangelical language getting used by some Christian leaders regarding the election of the brand new Labour government.
One wrote of change, a latest start and a latest sense of hope. Others encouraged Christians to vote for justice, compassion and peace – which is ‘Newspeak’ for vote Labour or Liberal. But will all of this be delivered by the brand new government? On the opposite hand, there are those like Peter Hitchens, who having spent years telling us to not vote for the Tories, did an about face just before the election and urged us all to vote for the Tories because otherwise we’d find yourself with a radical Left government.
I’m not an enormous fan of either the utopian or apocalyptic language.Indeed, I think that the 40 per cent of the electorate who couldn’t be bothered to vote, because they see it as making little difference, might be right. Nonetheless elections are necessary, and it’s a privilege to have the option to vote. Let’s attempt to avoid the hyperbole of ‘the dominion is coming’, or ‘we’re all doomed’, and reflect on what this result means for the UK, and the Church.
1. The result doesn’t bode well for the long run of British democracy.
On the one hand, our first past the post system has given us a robust government – perhaps too strong – with a majority of over 250. On the opposite hand, this government has been elected by only 20% of the electorate. It took 22,000 votes per Labour MP, and 1 million per Reform MP. Labour with 34% of the vote (the bottom for a governing party) got 64% of the seats; the Tories with 24% got 19%; Reform (14%) and the Greens (7%) got 1% each.
For me, probably the most interesting statistic of the night was that whereas Jeremy Corbyn got 12,877,918 votes in 2017 and 10,269,051 votes in 2019, (he lost and was considered an enormous failure), in 2024 Keir Starmer got 9,643,399 and got an enormous parliamentary majority!
The FPTP system works well in a two-party system; it becomes manifestly unjust in a multiparty system. It is unlikely that the Tories or Labour will seek to vary this – because it keeps them each in business. But if things stay the identical it’s going to create further disillusionment and unrest.
2. The United Kingdom is protected for the subsequent decade.
One of probably the most significant results of the election was the devastation of the SNP – down from 48 seats to 9. The SNP spin doctors were attempting to portray this as a few of their supporters lending their votes to Labour to get the Tories out – but that does not make sense. The Tories were never going to get greater than the six seats they already held. The reality is that just because the lead to England was brought on by dissatisfaction with the Conservative government, so the lead to Scotland was primarily brought on by dissatisfaction with the Scottish government. As a result, the explanation for independence has been set back for at the least ten years.
3. The rise of the Reform Party, with over 4 million votes and 5 MPs is important.
It causes an actual dilemma for the Conservatives. On the one hand, all of the pundits tell them to not veer to the Right (they may then lose much more of their seats within the leafy suburbs of Southern England to the Lib Dems). But on the opposite, there are vast numbers of individuals all around the country who’ve concerns about immigration, the results of Net Zero, and the varied manifestations of the woke ideology that has captured most of our elites. Ultimately the Conservatives weren’t elected because they ran the country badly and since they weren’t conservative enough. If not one of the important political parties offer social conservatism, who will the social conservatives vote for?
4. The emergence of sectarian politics is deeply troubling.
The election of 4 independents, plus that of Jeremy Corbyn, was in effect because they adopted Muslim opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The appearance within the UK of sectarian politics based on religion just isn’t something to be welcomed. I find it completely bizarre that left-wing commentators are describing these MPs as ‘radical left wing’! I suppose gay rights and ladies’s rights don’t really matter in Iran or Pakistan! As a sign of what’s to return, consider the treatment meted out to Jess Phillips, newly elected Labour MP in Birmingham. She was heckled and abused by her Islamist opponents who had almost succeeded in ousting her. I think that in an effort to appease this mob the brand new Labour government will do what it has promised and introduce latest laws regarding ‘Islamophobia’. In other words what’s going to in effect be a latest blasphemy law forbidding any critique of Islam.
5. The latest Labour government has many issues to take care of.
The economy (especially the burgeoning national debt), failing public institutions, education, the mental health crisis, housing, the NHS, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and immigration. We can only pray that they’ll prove to be a more competent and capable government than the federal government they’re replacing. One area of particular concern is that the changes the federal government is promising will often be ideological. Having a latest education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, who appears to be a proponent of trans ideology, doesn’t bode well. Or the commitment to ban conversion therapy – including any counselling related to transgenderism.
In this regard it was sad to see two of the foremost defenders of girls’s rights, Miriam Cates (Conservative) and Jo Cherry (SNP), losing their seats. In the case of the previous, the BBC ran a very nasty hit piece days before the election, questioning her church affiliation. Little wonder that Pink News rejoiced at her being replaced by an ‘inclusive’ candidate.
Let’s return to this concept of change, latest hope and a latest start. I think that not much will substantively change – within the words of the Who’s magnificent ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, ‘meet the brand new boss, same because the old boss.’ Sir Keir Starmer talked concerning the country having put their trust in Labour and that they would not allow us to down as they lead us right into a latest starting and a modified society. I find it hard to imagine that anyone still falls for that.
My own view is that the UK is currently under the judgement of God, in a Romans 1 sense. As we’ve got given up on God and our Christian roots, the Lord is largely giving us what we asked for, and left us to our own devices. We have, and can proceed to mess it up badly. We need repentance, renewal and reformation; not false political idols who promise us paradise but cannot protect us from the things that can destroy us.
For the Christian there are seven scriptural principles we’d like to recollect.
- Don’t put your trust in politicians (Psalm 146:3)
- Pray for politicians (1 Timothy 2:1)
- Where there is no such thing as a vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18)
- We are to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8)
- We are to evangelise the word, in season or out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)
- We are to proclaim the word to politicians (Ps 119:46)
- Jesus is King. Before him all nations, individuals and leaders will bow (Philippians 2:10)
That’s a manifesto that offers me real hope! What about you?
David Robertson is the minister of Scots Kirk Presbyterian Church in Newcastle, New South Wales. He blogs at The Wee Flea.
