‘Will Christians swing the 2010 UK election?’

An article by Justin Parkinson on BBC News Online asks whether political candidates may be more likely to discuss their religious beliefs than is usually the case in British elections. 

Parkinson writes:

Tony Blair’s spokesman Alastair Campbell famously once said the prime minister didn’t ‘do God’ when talking to the media. Religious pronouncements were kept to a minimum, for fear of risking the broad political support for the New Labour project.

Mr Campbell’s simple words illustrate how Christianity is generally treated at Westminster. Explicit mention of religion is seen as ‘un-British’, a bit ‘American’ and a ‘turn-off’ to the electorate.

But, with a closely fought election in the offing and a desperate fight taking place for marginal seats, might candidates become more open about their beliefs if it means a few more votes?…

Read the full article here:

Will Christians swing the 2010 UK election? By Justin Parkinson. BBC News Online, 21 April 2010