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Beyond our Ken

As I write this, the headline in my newspaper reads "Labour bid to scupper Livingstone" and the news is dominated by the question that is apparently on everyone's lips (although not on mine!) - "Will Ken Livingstone run as an independent candidate for Mayor of London?"

Following as best as I can the twists and turns of the electoral contest, what strikes me is the way in which the political debate is contacted entirely in terms of personality. Ken is "a cheeky chappie" while Frank is "Tony's crony". What seems to miss most accounts is the almost total agreement on policy between all the candidates. Apart from a complex economic debate about how the London Underground should be funded, all candidates agree on what the needs of Londoners are and are keen to get on with the important issues of rubbishing each others personality.

There are real dangers here for our political system. Democratic politics thrives on debate, on the development of alternative perspectives, and the challenging of ideas and policy. When we cease to discuss or consider the underlying challenges, and focus instead on the strengths and weaknesses of candidates' personalities, we run substantial risks.

We can learn a great deal from the Old Testament psalmists and prophets here. They started from the assumption that power corrupts personality. Therefore they were inherently suspicious of what their leaders proposed. They were not afraid to challenge the assumptions and policies of their leaders. They questioned the direction in which they were being led; pointed out the logical conclusion of policy direction and proposed radical alternatives.

It follows, then, that those who seek to be followers of Jesus of Nazareth should refuse to be caught up in questions of political personality, but keep a radical, questioning mind when it comes to political propositions and be prepared to contribute that questioning to the political debates of the day.

Nick Pike

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