Category: Topical Talks

Anything relating to topical things, whether it’s religion, politics or something else that’s likely to divide opinion.

Better Off Together

For those of you who know me or any of you who read this blog, you'll probably have come to learn three things from my writings. The first is that I'm a theologian. The second is that I'm a Liberal Democrat. The third is that I've been playing the okey-kokey with Britain's relationship with the European Union. The last piece I wrote explored the ideas I had that saw the case to remain in the European Union as idealism and the case to leave, as realism. Whilst I still maintain some of the things Continue reading [...]

The Illiberal Democrats?

Exclusive Shortlists Are Illiberal and Undemocratic Those of you who watched the Andrew Marr show last Sunday would have seen much talk about the upcoming EU Referendum, but there is one story that emerged that has gotten me and many other within the Liberal Democrats, spitting feathers. The Independent on Sunday published a story claiming that the Liberal Democrats could become the first party to introduce candidate shortlists made up of only those from minority groups, in an attempt to widen the Continue reading [...]

Idealism or Realism? A Liberal’s Take on the EU

We all know the question looming over the UK this year is of its membership within the European Union; should we stay or should we go? The Prime Minister has offered to give his MPs the freedom to campaign for the UK to stay or for, what has become affectionately known as, Brexit. Labour...well, who knows what their position on the EU is? And the Liberal Democrats are the only clear, united party in Westminster, urging politicians and voters alike to keep Britain part of the European Union. The Lib Continue reading [...]

Would Jesus have been a Liberal Democrat?

A slightly strange title I'll admit, but as a prelude to my Master's dissertation "Is God a Lib Dem?" (if my title is accepted by the faculty powers-that-be), I thought I'd go back to my academic roots and spend a bit of time thinking about Christology and in particular, the basis that both theological and political liberalism may have had with the man named Jesus of Nazareth. Now of course, this isn't to suggest that Jesus would have actually voted for the Lib Dems, or that he would have been Continue reading [...]

True Blue: The Future Must Be Brighter, It Must Be Orange

Apologies for the rather clichéd title. I actually used the latter part in a draft post I started weeks ago in which I discussed the future of the Liberal Democrats under the leadership of Tim Farron. Like so many of my posts it started, then other things took precedent and so it flitted away into the growing archive of blogs that shall never be. This week has been interesting; this week has opened my eyes. The Conservative Conference happened, and then BBC Question Time happened. With these two Continue reading [...]