A priest friend of mine once provocatively declared that there were no mortal sins any more – except voting Tory. He was being mischievous. But the question still arises: are our immortal souls ever at risk when we go to a polling station? The Catholic bishops of England and Wales are preparing a statement of moral guidance for Catholic voters in the upcoming general election, and it would be very unusual if they said so. They would be much more likely to resort to the general formula that “a general election is not a single-issue referendum”, adding that it was not for the bishops to tell people how to vote.But what should they say to a voter who proposes to vote for a party – any party – that had policies that would worsen the poverty of those already poor,
08 January 2015, The Tablet
Politicians have noted that sympathy for the poor is waning in British society
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £30 quarterly
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.
Already a subscriber? Login
User Comments (1)
While Clifford Longley seems to have a big heart he does not appear to grasp the fact that if a government spends too much money servicing loans, there won't enough in the kitty to pay out enormous amounts of generous welfare no matter how desirable.
A lot of fun is made about the Victorian fondness for thrift but ever since the arrival of plastic money we have all of us been living above our means. Dickens got it right with Mr. Micawber's financial philosophy. But alas, the politicians are never going to get it right in a capitalist society, any more than in a communist one.
The only thing that would work properly, Christianity as propounded by Jesus, has of course been written off as being far too difficult. So, where do we start? With me? With you? I'll vote for it but who will stand on that ticket I wonder? Are you listening, Mr. Longley?