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| Church of England to offer election vote guidance | Church of England to offer election vote guidance |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Church of England leaders are set to urge parishioners to take an active role in May's general election. | Church of England leaders are set to urge parishioners to take an active role in May's general election. |
| In a letter to be released later, the House of Bishops is expected to call for debate on issues such as nuclear defence and the economy. | In a letter to be released later, the House of Bishops is expected to call for debate on issues such as nuclear defence and the economy. |
| It is expected to back the concept of a living wage and urge political parties to avoid scapegoating groups such as immigrants and those on benefits. | It is expected to back the concept of a living wage and urge political parties to avoid scapegoating groups such as immigrants and those on benefits. |
| Some Conservative MPs have criticised the Church's intervention. | Some Conservative MPs have criticised the Church's intervention. |
| The letter - the first of its kind to be issued by the Church - is expected to say that the case for the Trident nuclear deterrent needs to be re-examined and more EU integration is needed. | The letter - the first of its kind to be issued by the Church - is expected to say that the case for the Trident nuclear deterrent needs to be re-examined and more EU integration is needed. |
| The Bishop of Buckingham, Dr Alan Wilson, who helped write the letter, said: "We're not telling people how to vote but why to vote." | The Bishop of Buckingham, Dr Alan Wilson, who helped write the letter, said: "We're not telling people how to vote but why to vote." |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he said the letter was to address the problem of people's "cynicism and disenchantment with professional politicians" and help them "take a fresh look at things". | Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he said the letter was to address the problem of people's "cynicism and disenchantment with professional politicians" and help them "take a fresh look at things". |
| Conservative MP Nadine Dorries told the programme she believed the letter had "glaring inaccuracies" regarding the economy and said the Church should be more concerned with issues people wanted to hear their views on, such as abortion. | |
| "The Church is always silent when people are seeking its voice and yet seems very keen to dive in on political issues when actually no-one is asking it to," she said. | "The Church is always silent when people are seeking its voice and yet seems very keen to dive in on political issues when actually no-one is asking it to," she said. |
| BBC religious affairs correspondent Caroline Wyatt said the letter was not meant to be party political, or a "shopping list of policies" - but was a call for a "new kind of politics". | BBC religious affairs correspondent Caroline Wyatt said the letter was not meant to be party political, or a "shopping list of policies" - but was a call for a "new kind of politics". |
| "The bishops will urge a fresh moral vision for the country's future and bigger ideas with which to engage the electorate," she said. | "The bishops will urge a fresh moral vision for the country's future and bigger ideas with which to engage the electorate," she said. |
| Church members will be asked to help "shape" the debate and to ask parliamentary candidates their "position on a host of key questions", our correspondent added. | Church members will be asked to help "shape" the debate and to ask parliamentary candidates their "position on a host of key questions", our correspondent added. |