At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Premier Mark Carney delivered one of the most important speeches of this decade. It deserves to be read not as a Canadian intervention alone, but as a blueprint for every serious democracy that refuses to drift into vassalage in a world of unrestrained power politics. Carney named… Continue reading Living in truth: Middle Powers must lead, and Britain, with Canada and the EU, should be with them
Tag: politics
Trump’s America is no longer the Land of the Free
Trump’s authoritarian populism risks turning the U.S. into a fascist state which is why I no longer feel safe to travel there, and why others, including global sport, should question their own plans. I have long been proud to celebrate the United States as a beacon of democratic pluralism, creativity, and cultural diversity. I have… Continue reading Trump’s America is no longer the Land of the Free
After Bondi: grief, fear, and the hard work of refusing hatred
The attack on Australia’s Jewish community on Bondi Beach in recent days has left me shaken and heartsick. It joins a grim list of assaults on Jewish life across the world, including the attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur earlier this year. These are not isolated acts. They sit within… Continue reading After Bondi: grief, fear, and the hard work of refusing hatred
In the Image of God: a queer Christian response to the UK Supreme Court ruling on Sex and Gender Identity
This post was written for OneBodyOneFaith and was published on the charity’s website on Monday 26 May 2025 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139.13-14 On April 16, 2025, the UK Supreme Court delivered a… Continue reading In the Image of God: a queer Christian response to the UK Supreme Court ruling on Sex and Gender Identity
Trans rights should be supported not reversed. A cautionary note to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss
On Wednesday this week, the UK Government Minister for Women & Equalities, Liz Truss MP, who serves in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Trade, set out her priorities for the Government Equalities Office in a statement to a House of Commons Select Committee. To the distress of many in LGBTQ communities,… Continue reading Trans rights should be supported not reversed. A cautionary note to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss
Overcoming the new ‘permission to hate’ – stopping racism in football grounds, transphobia in the media, antisemitism and Islamaphobia in politics, and the rise in nationalism
Yet again yesterday, we woke to news headlines reporting racist chants at a football ground. This time it is apparently the supporters of Tottenham Hotspur directing ‘monkey noises’ at players of Chelsea in their game on Sunday. Those of us involved in the administration of sport had hoped that this kind of conduct had been… Continue reading Overcoming the new ‘permission to hate’ – stopping racism in football grounds, transphobia in the media, antisemitism and Islamaphobia in politics, and the rise in nationalism
A true leader in London, Haringey’s Claire Kober speaks out for inclusive visionary leadership, and warns against populism and surrendering power to vocal minorities
Every so often I have the privilege of hearing a speech that is inspiring and thought provoking. As readers of my blog will know, my political inspiration doesn’t always from ‘my side of the aisle’ and so it was last week, when a Labour politician grabbed my attention and my applause by the power and… Continue reading A true leader in London, Haringey’s Claire Kober speaks out for inclusive visionary leadership, and warns against populism and surrendering power to vocal minorities
Recent events a wake-up call to politicians: austerity must end, we need a kinder, fairer way
In My Opinion piece written for The Smithfield Gazette, June 2017 The last twelve months in British and global politics, along with incidents of domestic and international terrorism, and the horrendous fire at Grenfell Tower in West London must surely be the wake-up call needed for those of us involved in public life to think… Continue reading Recent events a wake-up call to politicians: austerity must end, we need a kinder, fairer way
St Paul’s Remembrance: “Brexit and Trump were won with lies and fear. Two world wars were won with truth and courage.”- I agree.
Yesterday’s Remembrance Sunday service at St Paul’s Cathedral was, as usual, a moving and solemn occasion. It was attended by the City’s new Lord Mayor, the Aldermen and Common Councilmen, as well Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and many representatives of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and countless old comrades from former… Continue reading St Paul’s Remembrance: “Brexit and Trump were won with lies and fear. Two world wars were won with truth and courage.”- I agree.
Ruth Davidson – a new kind of politician, a new kind of politics
Writing a post like this is liable to inflame some of my fellow Liberal Democrats and other friends who simply dislike Tories, but the results of Thursday’s elections to the Scottish Parliament deserve comment, not least because of the extraordinary revival of the Scottish Conservatives under their leader Ruth Davidson. I am proud and fortunate to… Continue reading Ruth Davidson – a new kind of politician, a new kind of politics
C. E. Lord OBE 