The Internal Markets Bill is none of the business of the Anglican Primates

I write concerning the ‘letter from the UK Anglican Primates on the Internal Market Bill’.

I wish to register my anger and disappointment at the co-signing this letter by the Primate of the Anglican Church in Ireland.

This letter involves the Primate in political matters which to be blunt, are none of his business. The letter expresses a number of political viewpoints with which I disagree fundamentally. I cannot understand how he thinks he has received any mandate to express such views as Primate of the Anglican Church in Ireland.

I appreciate that he is free to express any views he may desire as a private citizen. However, he is not free to express political views on my behalf as a member of the church.

Among many political points in the letter with which I disagree, considerable reference is made to the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement. He seems not to have realised that the agreement previously made with the European Union was a clear breach of the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement in that it fundamentally changed the constitutional position of Northern Ireland by creating a border with Great Britain for many aspects of trade.

Somehow this did not seem to have disturbed his sense of duty and responsibility to the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement, which only seems to arise when ties to the European Union are weakened, it seems that he is quite happy for ties to Great Britain to be weakened.

As Primate of the Anglican Church in Ireland he has no mandate to speak on political matters on my behalf or on behalf of any other member of the church.

A number of churchmen have been honest enough to submit their views to the electorate. If the Primate wants to get involved in politics, let him stand for election.

(Mr) R J Haughey, Belfast BT6

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