When Theresa May called a snap general election in 2017, the BBC did a vox pop on the streets of Bristol. An elderly woman went viral along with her frustrated declaration – “You’re joking … not one other one … there’s an excessive amount of politics!” When Rishi Sunak surprised not only the media but additionally a lot of his own MPs by announcing there can be an early general election on 4 July, I believe that the feelings for a lot of were somewhat different. There has been a way of inevitability about this – the federal government seems drained and worn out. If the opinion polls are to be believed, then a Labour government seems inevitable.
We live in a democracy where everyone’s vote is as invaluable as the subsequent. But it seems as if there may be a weariness with democracy and a way of pointlessness about voting. While the church shouldn’t endorse political candidates or advocate particular political parties, we should always encourage people to make use of the little power they must influence events on this nation. The vote is a precious gift which we should always use.
But therein lies the issue. As a Scottish exile in Australia, I still have a vote in my fatherland. But I’m debating whether I should apply for a postal vote or not – although given the state of recent postal communications, I could already be too late! Why this hesitancy? Because I’d really struggle in knowing who to vote for. I confess that in my life I even have at different times voted Labour, Lib Dem, Conservative, SNP, Green and even Scottish Socialist Party – the latter was entirely a frustrated protest vote.
I don’t know how I’d vote this time. Latterly I even have tended to vote for the candidate, not the party or the party leader – although obviously they can not be ignored. But the difficulty is that the political class has narrowed. Our political parties appear to be run by technocrats and youngsters just out of college. It is difficult to inform the difference between the principal parties – they’re all different shades of beige. And those who are usually not are off the sting of the rainbow.
Where does someone who would have traditionally been seen as economically left wing, and socially conservative go to vote? I support the NHS but think that the NHS aborting babies or potentially euthanising old people is mistaken. I support the equality of ladies but despair at politicians who do not know what a lady is. I would like to assist refugees but don’t agree that open borders will do anything apart from create more refugees. I agree with freedom of faith but don’t accept that the de-Christianisation of Britain and the Islamification of some areas is a very good thing.
I would like to do what we are able to to assist the environment, but not on the expense of constructing the poor poorer and the wealthy richer. I feel in real education and never the social indoctrination that so a lot of our schools now provide. I hate hate but I don’t desire a recent blasphemy law which shall be utilized by the progressive elites to implement their doctrines and demonise the Bible. So can anyone tell me of a comparatively sane political party where I can be welcome?
Like hundreds of thousands of others, I feel disenfranchised. My world isn’t the world of many of the chattering classes, the educational, civic, entertainment and humanities establishments. I recall a BBC producer telling me that my views were representative of at the least 50 per cent of the population, but that it was a 50 per cent that the BBC was not diverse enough to cover.
The temptation for the disenfranchised is to precise frustration by voting for fringe extremist groups, but that isn’t really an option for me as a Christian. I would like to vote positively. So, what can we do?
Firstly, we are going to pray – that God raises up political leaders who’ve more respect and honour for Christian principles than a lot of their colleagues. Secondly, I’ll vote for anyone, Christian or not, who embodies at the least a few of the values that I feel must be inside our society. And thirdly, if my vote arrives in time, and I could not in all conscience vote for any of the candidates. I’ll spoil my ballot by writing ‘not one of the above’.
Meanwhile I’ll watch from a distance and reflect on how, because the UK on the whole, and Scotland particularly has rejected the Christian faith (this week it was revealed that for the primary time 51% of Scots said they’d no religion), it has not led to a secular Nirvana but relatively a confused, broken and despairing society. I’ll cry out within the words of the Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.” And within the words of Graham Kendrick as I feel in regards to the great darkness that covers the earth, I’ll plead with the Lord to come back and shine forth his light.
In the approaching weeks I hope to look in additional detail from a biblical perspective on a few of the foremost issues facing the nation presently.
David Robertson is the minister of Scots Kirk Presbyterian Church in Newcastle, New South Wales. He blogs at The Wee Flea.
