“Nowadays politicians want to talk about moral issues, and bishops want to
talk politics,” said Sir Humphrey.
This week’s New Statesman has been guest edited by the Archbishop of Canterbury. In his lead editorial, Dr Rowan Williams has launched a brutally eloquent assault on the coalition for embarking on a programme of radical reform for which, he claims, there is no mandate. With particular reference to the health and education reforms, Williams says:
“With remarkable speed, we are being committed to radical, long-term policies for which no one voted. At the very least, there is an understandable anxiety about what democracy means in such a context.”
Not for the first time, Williams has attacked the Big Society, which he describes as “painfully stale” and an “opportunistic cover” for cuts.
Do the views of the Archbishop of Canterbury matter? Not especially, I would argue, in this secular age.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in