Who would want to be a by-election candidate, hey?
David Kerr has only been selected by the SNP for a couple of days and he's already getting it thoroughly in the neck from a seemingly hostile press. The latest assault on the man's character is as a result of his membership of the Opus Dei religion.
Personally, I don't see what the fuss is about.
Religion is a personal decision and it's no-one else's business to say whether one's views are wrong or right.
I seem to remember a lot of sympathy for Tony Blair's predicament of wanting to be a practising Catholic while being Prime Minister and no-one seemed to mind (too much) Ruth Kelly being Secretary of State for Transport while being a member of Opus Dei. Why should an SNP backbencher being a part of the same organisation merit such alarm?
There are swathes of politicians in Westminster who are religious but are never accused of confusing their theology with state business.
And I have to say, I raised an eyebrow when I read the Scottish Green party leader's Twitter feed:
"Just caught up with the SNP's Opus Dei connection. I'd only be worried if I thought they were going to win..."
Glossing over Patrick Harvie's premature opinion that Labour have the contest in the bag, why should any politician be concerned at a member of any religion joining Parliament?
Patrick goes on to suggest that David's religious views will mean "another MP voting against women's equality, sex education, reproductive rights, secular schools...", not that I'm aware of Catholics being known of in particular for holding sexist views or being unwilling to teach sex ed in schools. But there are 850,000 Roman Catholics in Scotland, 5 million in England, they're going to need at least a few MPs and MSPs to represent them even if it does rub against the views of others. Tolerance and respect, after all, is a two-way street.
If David Kerr was Jewish, Protestant or Baptist would the same concerns be raised? The same headlines generated? The Speaker of the House is Jewish, is anyone suggesting John Bercow is going to be prejudiced in Westminster as a result?
It certainly says a lot when it falls to Scottish Unionist to defend the SNP candidate with these replies to Patrick:
I don't know my Opus Dei from my El Bow. What's all the fuss about?
I don't think his (Kerr's) principles have been called into question.
Elections should be fought on policy and if the Glasgow North East debate moves on to the question of Catholic schools and abortion, which it surely will, then the candidates can state their views on these issues in due course and be judged by the voters accordingly but to reduce the debate to shabby nudges and winks about a religion that is perfectly legitimate and reconcilable with Westminster is highly regrettable.
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16 comments:
Good post, Jeff.
Especially considering we have a Prime Minister right now who is able to play up his supposed 'Presbyterian values' or whatever he calls then, and no one says a word about it.
I'm an atheist (a "catholic atheist", i suppose), and David Kerr's religious beliefs are fine by me.
Paddy Harvie really needs to take a step back before getting all high and mighty. And if he thinks support for Catholic schools are going to be a drawback for David Kerr in the by-election campaign, I think he'll find that he's mistaken.
It seems to me that the only real intolerance here is coming from the Scottish Green leader.
Any thoughts on who is behind this recent attack, the tory is running in the Sunday mail, Scotland on Sunday and the Times.
I smell Labour dirty tricks, they are going for personal attacks and the by-election hasn't even been announced.
How sad is that.
Do they know something the rest of us don't?
I just think it's deeply ironic that the Tories, the party which gave us section 28 and all sorts of reactionary family values rubbish have been out there condemning Kerr.
I would find it difficult to vote for someone who would vote to restrict gay rights or access to abortion but as long as the electorate knows up front the candidates' positions, what's the problem?
What a terrible shame the SNP have chosen another candidate with such ill-liberal views. I'll certainly not campaign for him.
I'd suggest that "Laura" would never campaign for an SNP candidate, anyway.
Opus Dei are a sect within the Catholic Church, and it is concerns about the requirements of that particular sect which I think lie behind Harvie's comments. It caused Ruth Kelly no end of bother, and eventually she found her position in the Cabinet untenable.
But David Kerr is not going to serve in the UK Cabinet, and even although as a committed secularist I am hardly delighted, Jeff is quite right, David Kerr has as much right to enter Parliament as anyone else.
Ultimately, although this will cause arguments and debate it won't mean anything on the day in my view. People will look at the bigger picture and vote accordingly. That's what I would do.
How wrong you are, "Sean". I've campaigned for many an SNP candidate.
Of course David Kerr has every right to be selected, but I can't support it or work for him. The bigger picture to me is what kind of Scotland do we want to live in - his vision couldn't be more different than mine.
A vision where people of any faith, however mental, can become elected representatives of the people?
A vision where all types of social opinions are represented in parliament?
Like it or not, many Scots share David Kerr's political, social and religious views and it is right that they are represented at every level of our political system.
Laura,
As far as I'm aware David Kerr will be voting in line with SNP party policy if he becomes an MP so your decision not to campaign for him, seemingly solely based on his religion, must come awfully close to the kind of discrimination that we have laws to try to stamp out.
Which "illiberal views" are you referring to exactly? Or did you just hear 'Opus Dei' and shut up shop from then on like a few other journos out there...?
Jeff---850,000 Catholics in Scotland. This figure was dis credited a long time ago.
Surprised you're using it considering your attachment to the truth.
Those who might broadly understand themselves to be on the "left", or even centrish might want to have a wee look at the encyclical caritas in veritate recently issued.
Now,I will put my cards on the table and tell you I am a Catholic, so you might think "he would say that" But a clearer denunciation of irresponsible global capitalism I have yet to read, and frankly not one political party in the UK would dare to produce such an incisive and challenging document, for fear of the backlash from the City and elsewhere.
I bring this up to challenge the idea that Catholic social thinking is right wing. In the matter of economic justice and in the matter of communities having the right to defend themselves and prosper it most certainly is not.
This is an encyclical, by the way, and it carries the Pope's imprimatur. Catholics cannot ignore it.And it is one of a series along the same lines.
I oppose abortion.That does not make me "right wing". I support faith schools, and not just for catholics. That neither makes me right wing. It makes me a pluralist.
I also support Scottish independence because I think for a number of reasons,it is an urgent necessity for my country. To tell you frankly, if the SNP put up an Orangeman,I would vote for him.
I hope we can put aside Dan Brown conspiracy theory gibberish about Opus Die( of which I am not a member)aside, and give Labour and their media lapdogs the bloody nose they deserve.
Anon, I didn't do a personal headcount. Just looked up Wikipedia but if that's wrong then so be it.
The point stands there's lots of them (us, I suppose, as I'd tick that box in a census) so to resent the grouping representation at Parliament without getting into issues and policies is poor form.
For a decent appraisal of the 850000 Catholics in Scotland, I'd recommend Christopher Brookmyre's 'Boiling a Frog'
I wouldn't recommend 'Boiling a Frog' as a source of info about the number of Catholics in Scotland. It has Jack Parladance breaking into the Archdiocesan offices to get the real figures and getting arrested when any Catholic could have told him he could have got the info from the Western Catholic Calendar, on sale at every holy shop in every church for around £2. This breaks down the figure into baptised Catholics and attending Catholics. If you're interested, the figures for the West of Scotland last year were 445 000 baptised, 115 000 attending. I think the Scotland wide figure is round about 300 000.
Good post Jeff, btw.
Sorry, Jack Parlabane. It's been a while since I read it..
Being a catholic is one thing but being a member of Opus Bei is very different. The public have the right to know whether it effects his views on issues- if Harvie is wrong then let Kerr say so. Hiding behind
"there is place for religion in a by election"
is bollocks. Does anyone really thing Thoms was ditched because he wanted to spend more time on the council! Does anyone think the SNP would have "chosen" a non Catholic in this seat? take off the tartan specs tactical voter!
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