The re-appointment of Kate Forbes is a welcome rebuke to false culture war divisions. In reality people want politicians with integrity who stand up for their beliefs, says Tim Farron
After a year on the backbenches, Kate Forbes has re-emerged as the Scottish Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary.
And so too has re-emerged the mystification that a member of a progressive party can also hold beliefs in line with Christian teaching and that she would not seek to impose them on others.
When Forbes stood for the SNP leadership last year, she handled the inevitable questions about her faith more wisely than I did as Lib Dem Leader. She was upfront and remained gracious in the face of hostility.
Many have expressed outrage at her re-appointment, yet her return is a welcome rebuke to a false culture war division.
People don’t easily fit into ‘culture war’ camps, rather they have a range of views. It’s perfectly possible to be passionate about tackling poverty and climate change, and to welcome refugees, whilst also following equally Biblical views on personal autonomy.
Culture wars lead to polarisation, as each camp alienates the centre-ground and increasingly seeks support from an echo chamber. This is evident in the Conservatives’ obsession with the inhumane Rwanda policy, and by the US Republican Party’s embrace of Donald Trump. Do we really want to continue with this angry, bitter politics?
I speak to hundreds of people on the doorsteps and I don’t see that polarisation out there. Instead, people appreciate politicians who are principled, have integrity and are reasonable human beings who can compromise with each other.
Of course, people have different policy beliefs. I disagree with Kate Forbes on various issues, including the integrity of the United Kingdom. But we cannot justify denying talented people the opportunity to lead because their faith jars with the culture. Christianity should always jar with the culture.
Kate Forbes’ faith is offensive to some. Actually, it’s worse than many people think. She believes – as do I – in an almighty God to whom we are ultimately accountable and who loves us so much He willingly died for us… and that our response should be to love and forgive our opponents. This radical grace utterly subverts our unforgiving culture.
Still, shouldn’t she leave her faith out of politics? In reality we are all influenced by our world views. It would be wrong and illiberal to force non-Christians to behave as though they were, but why is a ‘religious’ world view less valid than a ‘secular’ one? There’s a lazy assumption that secularism is neutral. But there is no neutrality. We all bring our values into the public square: they influence the way we view challenges and seek solutions.
Indeed, many people of faith enter politics through a sense of public service. We are responsible not only to those we represent, but to God, who desires the wellbeing and flourishing of all people more deeply than we ever could. Being faithful in politics requires us to serve others fully; it transforms our hope for a better future into tangible action. If you believe humans are made in God’s image, every individual is worth an inestimable amount to any politician fortunate enough to serve them.
In a diverse society, we must either entrench our divisions or accept that people have different world views and work with them.
It’s refreshing to have politicians who set out their beliefs clearly without demanding ideological purity (look where that’s got the Tories) and get on with addressing the issues facing our country.
When I interviewed Kate Forbes for my podcast A Mucky Business, she said: “People are crying out for honesty, truth and integrity from their politicians.”
If we really want a better politics, we should welcome politicians with these qualities, along with skills, commitment and a willingness to get stuck into this mucky business.
Tim Farron is MP for Westmoreland and Lonsdale and author of A Mucky Business: Why Christians should get involved in politics