Yes, we should be suspicious of Tim Farron’s Christian worldview

It was inevitable that as soon as Tim Farron got elected Lib Dem leader, he would be asked the Praying Question. The one that Tony Blair was asked, and the one that it now seems must be asked of anyone with a religious belief that is a little stronger than the ‘Magic FM in the Chilterns’ sort of belief that most Brits seem comfortable with.

That question cropped up on the Today programme. I’ve transcribed the full exchanges at the bottom of this post, but in summary, John Humphrys was very keen to find out whether the new party leader prayed to God for guidance when making political decisions.

This is Farron’s final answer:

‘Well, you said earlier on that this was a genuine question and wasn’t meant to be facetious in any way, so my response is still the same which is that it is hardly surprising that someone of faith says prayers, and that is what we do.