News by email Donate

Suggestions

Top Stories

Most Read

Popular Videos

Stefan Rousseau
Stefan Rousseau
Opinion

'Ruthless' PM is stamping his feet and Christians need to pray for Cabinet

by Cara Bentley
Opinion

The former Chancellor Sajid Javid is down and the number of people googling MP Rishi Sunak is up. 

Boris Johnson has been putting together his new team, keeping those loyal to him and removing colleagues (and their advisers) who have shown signs of dissent. 

Brandon Lewis replaces Julian Smith as Northern Ireland Secretary and gone are Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey to the back benches. 

Premier Christian News has been getting the reaction of Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central.

To read an article with a Conservative, click here.

PCN: What do these changes reveal about Boris Johnson

RM: I think we've seen a very ruthless approach to a reshuffle today and it seems that there's been many casualties. Obviously, seeing the change in Northern Ireland in particular, after progress was made over getting the assembly up and running was quite a shock. Clearly, all eyes are on the Treasury at the moment as we see a new chancellor being installed. It seems that the Prime Minister is stamping his feet and demanding his own way, not just as to who's in the post but who is advising those in the post.

PCN: What confidence do you have in the cabinet?

RM: Well it seems very much that the Conservative Party is being very centrally controlled and Dominic Cummings, unelected, seems to be driving the strategy now from Number 10 and determining what happens across the whole of the governance of our country. I think we have to be able to continually hold the Government to account, which is proving incredibly difficult when those making decisions aren't at the despatch box and when they come to the despatch box they refuse to answer questions.  So, I think this is going to be a very challenging Parliament certainly, with this reshuffle reinforcing that view and therefore as Labour politicians - with a responsibility in the official opposition to challenge the government - we are going to have to find ways of ensuring that the whole system of Parliament, including the select committees, are effective at making sure the Government does answer those questions, is accountable and listens. We know the election was about listening to the country and yet, we're seeing very much a strategy driven by one person at Number 10 - it isn't about bringing the country together. In fact, it's incredibly divisive. The divides now appearing in the Conservative Party show that this in itself may not stand.

PCN: It says in the Bible we need to respect those in authority, to pray for our leaders - how can we be praying for this new Cabinet?

RM: Absolutely. The Bible does encourage us to pray for our leaders and governance and it's absolutely important that we do because behind all that happens in Government, we know that we have a governor in our Lord who clearly is steering our nation and through history we have seen how there's been good kings and bad things and yet, forever, God is ushering people to himself, so it's absolutely vital that we lift our eyes and our sights and our prayers at this time.

 

 

 
Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

Connect

Donate

Donate