Christ & Country In Our Politics
On 3 December, the Good Faith Partnership hosted a webinar titled ‘Christ and Country in Our Politics.’ Moderated by Bishop Philip Mounstephen, the session featured a rich and engaging discussion between Danny Kruger MP and Jon Cruddas on the topic of Christian Nationalism.
During the webinar, Danny and Jon explored key questions, including:
Should the UK actively seek to recover its Christian foundations?
How should Christians respond to the perceived rise of Christian nationalism? Should they fear the misuse of religious symbols by harmful actors, or welcome it as a possible sign of renewed public interest in Christianity?
Is Christianity being used politically to mask an underlying ethno-nationalist agenda?
What might a healthy expression of Christian internationalism and Christian nationalism look like today?
Bishop Philip Mounstephen has served as Bishop of Winchester since 2023. In this role, he sits in the House of Lords and supports churches and chaplaincies across Hampshire, Christchurch and Bournemouth. Previously, he spent five years as Bishop of Truro, led one of the Church of England’s international agencies, and pastored churches in both London and Paris. He also served for eight years on the Council of the University of Gloucestershire, including as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Audit Committee.
Danny Kruger MP has been the MP for East Wiltshire since 2019. He previously served as Political Secretary to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and as the Government’s Expert Adviser on Civil Society at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Before entering politics, he founded and led two charities, Only Connect and West London Zone. He has also worked as chief speechwriter to David Cameron, chief writer at The Daily Telegraph, and Director of Studies at the Centre for Policy Studies. He holds a DPhil in History from Oxford and an MA from Edinburgh, and is the author of On Fraternity: Politics Beyond Liberty and Equality.
Jon Cruddas: Jon Cruddas represented Dagenham, and later Dagenham & Rainham, as a Labour MP from 2001 to 2024. He holds a PhD from the University of Warwick and formerly worked in Labour’s policy unit and in Downing Street under Tony Blair. As Labour’s Policy Coordinator under Ed Miliband, he helped shape the party’s intellectual direction. His recent book, The Dignity of Labour, argues for renewing the moral foundations of political life. He sits as an Honorary Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford.