Danny Webster
Danny joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2008 and has held a range of roles in the advocacy team. He currently leads the advocacy team's work across the UK including public policy work an engagement with the parliaments and assemblies, and respective governments. Before working for the Evangelical Alliance, Danny, who has degrees in politics and political philosophy, worked in parliament for an MP. Danny is passionate about encouraging Christians to integrate their faith with all areas of their life, especially when it comes to helping them take on leadership outside the church, and helped initiate the Evangelical Alliance's Public Leadership programme. He frequently provides comment on current political issues, both in Evangelical Alliance publications and to the press.
Christian witness in this political moment
21 August 2019There is expected to be a no confidence vote early September, and if this is lost and no alternative government can be formed, the country will once again go to the polls. In the event of an election in the coming months, Christians will be faced with greater than usual challenges in how to engage. It is likely that we’ll see candidates from new political parties gracing the ballot paper. We may also see parties choosing not to stand in some seats to allow other candidates a greater chance of…
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Book review: In Search of the Common Good
20 August 2019This book is broad in its sweep and ambitious in its vision. It is better at analysing the challenges Christians face than telling them what to do to put things right. But, and I think if I’ve read Meador correctly, he isn’t trying to issue a manifesto for achieving the common good; he is, rather, helping Christians as they seek it out. If you can get through the first couple of chapters without becoming thoroughly depressed, you have done well. Meador is unflinching in his critique of much of…
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Crazy golf and the redemption of all things
1 August 2019Rochester Cathedral has attracted both criticism and praise for its decision to install a crazy golf course in its nave. An act of desecration declared one columnist, who also highlighted the helter-skelter at Norwich Cathedral. Journalists ran amok with pun-filled headlines “fairway to heaven”, “more tee vicar?”, and the controversy was somewhat inevitable as they sought to draw people into the church with this summer installation. Whether it’s appropriate for a church building to be used in…
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Government must tackle Christian persecution, says report
8 July 2019The Bishop of Truro’s independent report to the Foreign Secretary highlighted that the persecution of Christians should be considered as a global phenomenon, but one with a wide variety of triggers and drivers. Because of the gradual emergence of this problem and the range of causes, the review found that it has also “been significantly overlooked in the West”. With wide ranging evidence from key non-governmental organisations, including Evangelical Alliance members Open Doors UK, Release…
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Speaking about the value of life in a confused society
27 June 2019It would seem as though we are not as comfortable with the continued normalisation of ending life before birth as is often portrayed. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition to protest a court’s judgment to end a pregnancy through force of law. Fortunately, the Court of Appeal has overturned the ruling from the Court of Protection which would have forced a woman to have an abortion against her, her mother’s and her social worker’s wishes. The woman, who is in her twenties and has a…
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The roots of good leadership
30 May 2019With nominations closing on Monday, 10 June, 11 candidates have already announced that they will definitely run and at least half a dozen are thought to be considering entering the contest. It is likely the field will thin out by the time of the first votes of the parliamentary party in mid-June, which will vote in successive rounds with the losing candidate removed after each ballot until only two remain. The final two will then be voted on by the entire Conservative Party membership. It is,…
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Far above politics
29 April 2019I’ve worked in parliament and politics for long enough to know that we should believe political pundits and experts when they declare that they have no idea what is coming next. Gone are the days of confident predictions and clear trajectories of political movement; we live in an environment with chronic instability and in which the identities that define our political landscape have changed beyond recognition. Historically, British politics was relatively straightforward: there were clear…
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Sri Lanka attacks: grief-stricken but hope-filled
25 April 2019Because we needed rest, we opted for a more leisurely pace, with an extended beach stay, rather than the typical tourist itineraries. Due to seasonal monsoon cycles, we went to the east coast, just north of Batticaloa, where one of eight explosions in Sri Lanka targeted Christians as they attended church on Easter Sunday. My wife and I wanted to see more of the South-Asian country than the shiny resorts on the coast, so one day we boarded a tuk tuk to Batticaloa. When we got to the city, our…
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Steve Clifford to step down as general director
12 April 2019Steve has been at the helm of the Evangelical Alliance since April 2009 and over the past decade he has helped the church have confidence in the power of the gospel and develop a clear voice in public life. But, perhaps above all, the Bradford-born Christian leader has brought together the diverse evangelical communities in the UK, so that together, despite differences, we can all make Jesus known. Commenting on his decision, Steve said: “For the past 10 years it has been an honour and…
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Secular Lent: an ancient tradition in a modern world
7 March 2019That’s how Guardian columnist Dawn Foster wrote about Lent this week. During Lent Christians have traditionally given up food in forms of fasting, and this has expanded in recent years to the foregoing of many other things. It is also notable how popular this once obscure Christian discipline has become among those who would not describe themselves as Christians and may even fiercely oppose much of what the church teaches. In the Yorkshire Evening Post you can even read about 10 things to give…
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Government’s anti-persecution inquiry launched
31 January 2019At yesterday’s launch event at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hunt said: “We wanted to do this not just because freedom of worship is a fundamental human right, but also because freedom of worship is the invisible line between open societies and closed societies. “Where freedom of worship is hampered or prevented, then usually that’s a sign of lots of other things going wrong, and we wanted to make sure that the UK is doing everything to champion the values that we all believe in.” The…
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