Retiring Bishop Dr Tom Wright slams politicians

Apr 29 2010 by Joanne Butcher, The Journal

AFTER seven years championing the North East in the House of Lords, Bishop of Durham Dr Tom Wright is returning to academia. He talks to JOANNE BUTCHER about the challenges facing the region in this election

RETIRING Bishop of Durham, Dr Tom Wright, has slammed politicians for not doing enough to tackle North East issues.

The Rt Rev Wright said none of the major parties have fully faced up to the region’s biggest challenges.

And he warned that failing to address problems could allow extremists to sneak into power.

“We are in very interesting times and this election is turning out to be more interesting than anyone thought,” said the Bishop, speaking from his historic home, Auckland Castle, County Durham.

“It has been said that if any candidate stood on the platform of ‘none of the above’, they would win the vote with a landslide.

“None of the major party manifestos are addressing the urgent issues facing the country. As a society we need to ask how are we failing in such a way as to leave an open door for parities like the BNP.”

As reported in yesterday’s Journal, the Morpeth-born 61-year-old is leaving the clergy for a teaching and research post at the University of St Andrews, in Scotland. But he said he would not abandon the causes he has supported during his seven-year career as Bishop.

“In the North East, we still feel the reverberations from the 1980s and the closures of the mines,” he said.

“Despite the good work Labour has done, people are disappointed they haven’t tackled that.

“One of the causes I have championed is the development of clean coal and finally the Government has promised to explore this.” Some have speculated that the Bishop’s decision to leave his post – which he could have continued to hold until the age of 70 – is connected to the shaky future of Auckland Castle.

Owned by the diocese for 800 years, the palace is going under review later this year to decide if it should be sold off.