Claims of a British 'Religious Right' are misleading

WITH recent high-profile campaigns such as the Coalition For Marriage, some commentators have been quick to reach for the phrase "US-style Religious Right" to describe changes in the British political and religious landscape. However, a new report from the religion and society think tank Theos calls for caution in using this language.

Entitled Is There a 'Religious Right' Emerging in Britain? the report examines demographic, social and political data and takes a close look at some of the groups accused of being part of a US-style Religious Right. It concludes that while there is evidence of greater co-ordination among socially-conservative Christians, it is misleading to describe this phenomenon as a US-style Religious Right.

Andy Walton, author of the report said:- "The British theological and political context is just too different from the American one for us to see the same kind of 'Religious Right' emerging here, at least for the foreseeable future. For a start, the number of committed Christians is much smaller, religion plays a less important part in their voting patterns, and Christian organisations have significantly less access to political power than in America.  More importantly, however, committed believers tend to be economically left-of-centre and there are no signs of believers favouring one political party for their agenda, as happened in America. Ultimately, none of the organisations examined in this report fully fits the model of the US Religious Right, despite an increase in profile. This is not to say that we might not move in that direction at some point in the future. However, the report argues that several factors – the long-standing influence of Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism, on left-wing of British politics; the presence of the established churches; the lack of a viable Christian media market; and the tendency of evangelical leaders to be non-partisan– means it looks unlikely.  The use of the term 'US style Religious Right' is therefore inaccurate and makes it more difficult to have a reasoned and thoughtful public conversation about some of our biggest questions."

New display for hygiene standards

CUSTOMERS in Liverpool will be better informed when eating out, thanks to the introduction of a new scheme which tells them about the hygiene standards of food outlets.  Liverpool City Council has announced that it will switch to a new way of displaying the hygiene standards of food businesses to consumers. The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) has been launched in the City.

This national scheme, developed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, provides information on food hygiene standards to help people to choose where to eat out or shop for food. The new scheme will build on the success of the previous local web based 'Scores on the Doors' scheme that Liverpool City Council has been running.

Food outlets, such as restaurants, takeaways and pubs, are inspected by food safety officers, to check that their hygiene standards meet legal requirements. The hygiene standards found at these inspections are rated on a scale ranging from zero at the bottom (which means 'urgent improvement necessary') to a top rating of five ('very good').

These ratings will be available for anyone to view on the FSA website at food.gov.uk/ratings and the food business will be given a sticker and certificate and encouraged to display these at the entrance to their premises. This is so that their customers can easily see them and decide if they want to go in.

Around 1 million people suffer from food poisoning every year, and the FSA's aim in developing the FHRS is to reduce this number. The ratings will give consumers a glimpse of what is going on in the kitchen when they eat out, or behind the scenes at the places they shop, before they make their decision about which place they prefer to visit.

Councillor Tim Moore, Liverpool City Council cabinet member said:- "Although we have run our own successful food hygiene scheme, we have opted to change to the FHRS, as we can see the benefits for local food businesses and the people that eat or shop in them.  Having a single scheme which is consistent nationwide means that the rating will have the same significance wherever people are buying food. The public will be able to use the information when deciding which food outlets to visit, and we hope that food companies will recognise that displaying a good hygiene rating is good for business."

Catriona Stewart, Head of the Food Hygiene Ratings Team at the FSA said:- "We recognise the real progress that has been made in improving hygiene standards in food outlets through 'local' food hygiene rating schemes.  But having a single nationwide scheme will mean a level playing field for businesses across the country, and consumers will be able to recognise and use the ratings in their own area, as well as further from home. So it's great news that Liverpool have switched to the new national scheme."