Face of Nation : The tone of the Brexit debate has become unacceptable, the Church of England’s bishops have said, as the prime minister faced intense criticism over his provocative rhetoric.
The bishops released a joint statement on Friday, calling on people both inside and outside parliament to treat each other with greater respect. They spoke after a host of MPs complained of receiving threats and Boris Johnson’s senior aide suggested that only carrying out Brexit would calm the tensions.
“In the last few days, the use of language, both in debates and outside parliament, has been unacceptable,” the bishops wrote.
“We should speak to others with respect. And we should also listen. We should do this especially with the poor, with the marginalised, and with those whose voices are often not heard in our national conversation. We should not denigrate, patronise or ignore the honest views of fellow citizens, but seek to respect their opinions, their participation in society, and their votes.”
And they offered thinly veiled criticism of the prime minister, who this week insisted the supreme court made the wrong decision in declaring his prorogation of parliament unlawful. “We call on politicians to adhere rigorously to the rule of law and on all to respect and uphold the impartiality of the courts and our judiciary,” the bishops wrote.
They added: “Our concern is also for the structure and the constitution of the United Kingdom. To use the words of Jesus, we must renew the structures that enable us to ‘love one another’. Changes to our principles and values of government, if necessary, should be through careful planning and consultation.
“It is easy to descend into division and abuse – climbing out and finding unity again takes far longer. Further entrenching our divisions, whether from uncertainty or from partisanship, is not worthy of our country nor the leadership we now need. We are a body that understands from our own experience the dangers of division. It is our view and most solemn warning that we must find better ways of acting.”
The bishops said they made the statement “conscious of the great challenges to our nations and to their leaders. In writing, we affirm our respect for the June 2016 referendum, and our belief that the result should be honoured”. Their comments followed an emotionally charged day in Westminster, w
