Dear Constituent,

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the separation of church and state.

I must be frank with you and admit I am totally opposed to disestablishment of the Church of England and the separation of church and state.

The United Kingdom has a long history of slow, organic, constitutional development, and I believe we should resist attempts to import American concepts like this which are alien to our political system and our way of government.

As a member of a religious minority myself, I feel very much protected by the Church of England’s secure place in our society even though I am neither a member nor communicant of it.

I believe we should pursue a pluralism that includes a variety of religions and worldviews, rather than the exclusion and downgrading that would necessarily come with disestablishment.

Despite the many problems we are facing, the United Kingdom today is one of the most peaceful, harmonious, tolerant, and welcoming of any country across the developed world. This is no accident, put an important legacy of Christianity which we would be foolish to imperil.

I am sorry we are not in agreement on this issue, but I am very grateful for you taking the time to write to me about it.

Yours,

EDWARD LEIGH MP