SNP leadership race: Candidates' religious views should not be off-limits – Scotsman comment

During his time working for Tony Blair, the Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell famously declared “we don't do God” when the then Prime Minister was asked about his faith.

As Scotland prepares for the internal SNP contest that will select the next First Minister, there are some who would take the same approach to the candidates’ religions. However, this would be a mistake.

On a string of issues – such as women’s rights, single-sex marriage, abortion and related matters like setting up protest buffer zones around clinics – faith can have a decisive impact on many of the faithful. Therefore, in assessing the candidacy of those wishing to become Scotland’s new leader, it is important to ask about the role of religion in their lives and how it shapes their outlook and worldview.

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With sectarianism and bigotry a lasting stain on modern life in Scotland, it is necessary to state that adherence to any major world religion should never be considered a bar to high office. What matters are the views of the specific individual who aspires to lead the country and it is about those opinions that the public has a right to ask.

Also, on religious matters, it is possible for politicians to hold private views that they do not seek to pursue as a matter of public policy. But, if this is the case, then it is important for the candidate in question to give clarity about what their religious belief means in relation to some of the more contentious issues of the day. Any Sturgeonesque dancing around the subject would be a worrying sign.

Although the number of people who do not subscribe to any faith has been increasing, religious leaders still play a valuable part in public discourse and most atheists and agnostics accept this. So there should be a way for candidates to talk publicly about their beliefs, and they should be able to do so without being subjected to ridicule or abuse.

For some, mixing religion with politics may sound like a recipe for disaster, an overly sensitive issue to be avoided for fear of stirring up trouble. However, despite the bigots, we need to be mature enough to have serious and respectful discussions about faith and how it shapes the views of our political leaders.

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