Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Political Neutrality in Positions of Faith

Wednesday 30 June 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Scott Benton asked the Minister about discussions with the Church in Wales on political neutrality.
  • The Minister mentioned corresponding with the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding the Bishop of St Davids' comments on Twitter.
  • The Minister expressed concern over the spread of intolerance towards those holding Conservative views in academia and public life.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Scott Benton
Standards & Ethics Religion & Faith
Context

The Bishop of St Davids made controversial comments on Twitter, prompting discussions about the Church's stance on political neutrality.

Question

What discussions has he had with representatives of the Church in Wales on political neutrality in positions of faith?

Answer from Simon Hart

I have recently been corresponding with the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding the Bishop of St Davids' ill-advised and divisive comments on Twitter. I am sure we all agree that our religious leaders should promote tolerance and inclusiveness, and I am pleased that the Church in Wales has apologised for the bishop's intemperate language.

Answered
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Q2 Scott Benton
Standards & Ethics Religion & Faith
Context

The Bishop of St Davids made controversial comments on Twitter, leading to discussions about intolerance towards Conservative views across various sectors.

Question

I am very supportive of the actions taken by the Secretary of State involving the Bishop of St Davids, but does he agree that this issue of intolerance towards those who hold Conservative views is becoming more widespread throughout academia and public life, and that we need concerted efforts to address this?

Answer from Simon Hart

As my hon. Friend knows, it appears that this sort of trolling habit is, sadly, not exclusive to the bishop; Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones has also been busy dishing out abuse, with his most recent contribution being to describe Conservative voters as the “lowest form of life”. I cannot help but ask what the professor would have done and how he would have reacted if any of our colleagues had described university academics as the lowest form of life. It would have been as outrageous for him as it is for us, and I very much hope that Cardiff University will follow the example of the Archbishop of Canterbury and deal with this promptly.

Not addressed: The growing intolerance towards Conservative views in academia and public life

How: Changed Subject To Another Academic'S Comments

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