Why UKIP’s ‘Walk with Jesus’ march is a cynical manipulation of our faith

As a new form of Christian Nationalism rises in the form of UKIP’s ‘Walk for Jesus’ marches, the Dean of Liverpool Cathedral is right to say he wants nothing to do with it, says Rev Dr Keith Brindle

When UKIP announced a ‘Walk with Jesus’ through the streets of Liverpool this Lent, starting on the steps of the Metropolitan Cathedral, many Christians might have felt a flicker of nostalgia.

For those of a certain generation, March for Jesus evokes memories of colourful, ecumenical processions through the 1990s - joyful expressions of faith intended to bless our cities. 

However, as the Dean of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, Canon Anthony O’Brien, made clear in a firm statement last week, this is not that. 

The Cathedral’s refusal to grant permission for the march to use its piazza was more than a logistical quibble; it was a profound