By Tim Farron MP2024-03-22T09:39:00
Democracy is a fragile thing, says Tim Farron MP. Christians must value it, engage with it and pray for change
Vladimir Putin has just won his fifth term as Russian president in an election that was about as rigged as you could imagine. None of his three cardboard opponents had any chance of winning. All other significant rivals have been ‘withdrawn’, jailed, exiled, or are dead.
Protests in Russia have been courageous but muted. People gathered outside ballot centres to demonstration their discontent - as proposed by Alexei Navalny, Putin’s outspoken rival who recently died in a Russian penal colony. But when armed guards show up on people’s doorsteps with ballot boxes, as reported in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Berdyansk, there’s not much anyone can do.
Claiming that he won over 87 percent of the vote with a 74 per cent turnout, Putin will be in power until 2030. This allows him, to some extent, to further legitimise his actions in general, and his war on Ukraine in particular.
2025-01-15T15:59:00Z By Tim Farron MP
A new survey shows an alarming shift toward authoritarianism among young Brits. Democracy isn’t perfect, says Tim Farron MP, but it’s far better than the alternative, and there are distinctly Christian reasons for supporting it
2024-04-25T12:03:00Z By Sharmila Meadows
When you work in Westminster, you get used to the high drama of parliamentary debate. But this should never be confused with petty name-calling and rudeness, says Sharmila Meadows. It may be culturally acceptable, but it isn’t to God
2024-03-15T10:32:00Z By John Heathershaw
Church leaders are wasting their time when they call for Ukraine to negotiate or for Russia to retreat. There’s a reason why they aren’t being listened to, explains John Heathershaw
2025-07-15T14:37:00Z By Natalie Williams
Some young people in England are living in an “almost-Dickensian level of poverty” according to the latest report from the children’s commissioner. It should break our hearts, just as it breaks God’s, says Natalie Williams
2025-07-15T08:42:00Z By Bashar Fawadleh
Last week, Jewish settlers set fire to an ancient church in Taybeh, the last remaining Christian-majority town in the West Bank. Father Bashar Fawadleh explains what it is like to live under the shadow of constant attacks and restrictions, and asks the Church to pray for peace and justice
2025-07-11T14:46:00Z By Neil O'Boyle
New research shows more young people are praying, attending church and open to faith. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, says Youth for Christ’s Neil O’Boyle. But the Church must engage with Gen Z and Gen Alpha on their terms
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