Jesus voted leave? Watch a VICAR on Newsnight put her faith in Tory Brexit and ending EU immigration.

BBC Newsnight logo next to a picture of a vicar
Support us and go ad-free

Viewers of BBC Newsnight were left baffled at the sight of an arch Brexiteer and anti-immigration Tory vicar.

Although Jesus has understandably not expressed a view on Brexit, many viewers questioned how the vicar’s political views can be squared with his teachings.

A bizarre performance

The vicar, called Lynn, was on Newsnight as part of a public panel to discuss the latest Brexit developments. And she seemed to relish the opportunity to outline her opinions.

She asserted how she supported “100%” the Brexit position of Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi  – who is backing Theresa May’s deal. And she said she was a “Conservative, born and bred all my life”:

Her belief that we should “put faith in the government” and trust in its superior knowledge will trouble many after observing two years of Tory infighting and botched negotiations. As will her suggestion that the public are unable to understand the complexities and should simply trust politicians.

Is it Christian to oppose immigration?

But most surprising was her reaction to a question posed by the host, Emily Maitlis, about the free movement of people within the EU (immigration), as shown below:

The reaction from the public

In reaction to her comments, many members of the public questioned the compatibility of her beliefs with Christianity. As I myself reacted at the time:

But as one Twitter user was quick to point out, this wasn’t the vicar’s first appearance on the BBC. It seems that they don’t just recycle the same mainstream pundits, but members of the public too.

Breaking the teachings of the bible?

But many other users wondered how opposition to the free movement of people squared with holy scripture:

Some even went back to the old testament:

Although some people’s bible scholarship might be a little inaccurate….

Others queried whether Tory ideology and policy can be squared with Christianity:

But perhaps the Twitter account “Tory Jesus” shows us that the merging of Tory and Christian dogma is possible:

Others were more emphatic in their opinions:

God help us all

If the hellish, shouty conclusion to the Newsnight debate was anything to go by, then the UK may need more than God to help solve Brexit:

Lynn the vicar demonstrated once again the many baffling opinions across the UK that Brexit has revealed.

And the idea of a vicar supporting May shouldn’t surprise anyone. Her government was condemned for causing “misery” and mass poverty in the UK by the UN. She also introduced the “hostile environment” immigration policy. And yes, you guessed it: Theresa May is a vicar’s daughter.

Featured image via YouTube 

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us