Votewise 2015 sets out to provide an accessible guide to the issues surrounding the forthcoming election. It also wants to show that politics does not end at the ballot box. This is an important endeavour in an era in which public engagement with politics is on the wane and many Christians might feel particularly disheartened and disillusioned in the wake of difficult disputes over gay marriage, assisted dying and secularism.

Withdrawal from politics though, as Votewise 2015 rightly makes clear, is naive in so far as it assumes that such avoiding the issues is possible. It is also dangerous in that it abandons the decision making power entirely to others who might fail to share Christian concerns.

To that end, more than half of Votewise 2015 is devoted to an exploration of the key political issues. Each issue gets a short summary, a focus on one particular contentious point, a short section on what a Biblical position is a reflection bringing these different strands together. Finally, it proposes some next steps for a Christian, including things to think about and practical actions.

Each of these sections is well done, providing a clear overview of the key points. If there is a criticism it is that maybe the next steps could have been a little more ambitious. There is something of a missed opportunity throughout to push the idea of politics any further than voting and traditional activities like standing as a councillor or joining trade unions. These are all worthy activities but ignore that much direct political engagement now is done through online petitions, blogs and social media that allow a much more direct and instant calling to account of politicians.

That would in turn raise issues about proper behaviour and anonymity online which would be an interesting area for a future book of this type to reflect on. This is especially true given the chapter in this book that proposes a more relational manifesto. Putting relationships at the heart of society is an aim presented with both challenges and opportunities by the internet.

Votewise 2015: Making a difference at the ballot box and beyond by Guy Brandon is published by SPCK

Ben Ryan 

This review first appeared in the Church Times

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