Quo Vadis?
It’s going to take more than an election
Quo vadis? Whither goest? In Christian tradition, when St Peter flees Rome to avoid execution, he meets Christ on the road, and asks him this question. Christ replies that he is going to Rome to be crucified again because Peter has abandoned his people there. Both shamed and encouraged, Peter returns to Rome and is crucified (upside down, apparently). Silly bugger, but that’s faith for you!
Now, sitting here in our foggy little island, watching our cousins tear themselves and each other apart, many of us are asking that question. Because what happens over there always finds its echoes over here. Make no mistake, the election of Donald Trump over there emboldened the Tory right to put their faith in Boris Johnson. Not that we’ll see a Trump over here, at least not in the same way, because our structures deny a Prime Minister the sweeping powers your Constitution gives a President. But the Trump era has excited the far right over here. Racists, climate change deniers, Covid-19 deniers, homophobes, transphobes, misogynists, all taking their cue from the man in the White House who echoes their views.
It is worrying on two levels. Selfishly, many of us are aware that the conservative wing of British politics look to the US for their lead and inspiration. This goes back to the half-American, anti-European and…
