Anthony Horan, Director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, writes our latest blog in which he focuses on the message from Scotlands Bishops in their Pre-election letter urging politicians to engage in respectful dialogue.
Scotland’s Catholic Bishops have urged voters to be mindful of a number of issues ahead of next month’s General Election. They have asked the faithful to bear in mind the right to life, the need to challenge and eradicate poverty, and the plight of refugees and asylum seekers. They have also spoken of the need to challenge political candidates on their commitment to a more respectful and tolerant type of politics.
Many people are tired of the persistent squabbling and arguing being played out between politicians on a seemingly daily basis. And this always seems to be heightened around election time. Our TV screens and social media pages are full of people who seem to be more interested in scoring party political points than getting on with the job of doing what is best for our society and promoting the common good, and people are tired of it.
Perhaps it is for this reason that the Bishops feel compelled to invite politicians to take a new direction and to give greater prominence to respect and tolerance and avoid overdoing the points scoring and unnecessary insults. The Bishops have said, “Often politicians are tempted to score points or resort to insults. We need politicians who are willing to change this and to take politics in a new direction, where dialogue is respectful, and where different points of view, including those of a religious nature, are tolerated.”
This is sage advice and our political candidates and those working with them would do well to take it on board. Too many people, including politicians, fall prey to the petty and childish behaviour that has become commonplace on social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. They mistake these platforms for places of dialogue and open, honest, respectful discussion. The sad truth is, they are no such thing.
Too many people simply use social media to vent hatred and intolerance and it’s all too easy for politicians to get drawn into the mindless verbal ping pong that only seems to add further fuel to extremist views.
Argument and debate will always be a part of politics, and it needs to be. But this can never descend into insults and the type of behaviour that should be reserved for the school playground. Politicians should never lose focus of what really matters. The stakes are too high. As the Bishops have rightly said, society “will be judged on how it treats its poorest and most vulnerable citizens.” These are challenging words for all of us, political candidates and voters alike, and we must take them to the ballot box on 8th June.