Chair of LDCF Martin Turner wrote to the two leadership candidates last month.  Their responses are below.

Q1. What do you see as the role of the Christian Forum within the Party?

Nick Clegg: The role of the CF is to provide both a home and a voice for Christians in the Party.  I expect the LDCF to be bold in its assessment of politics from a Christian perspective and in its exhortations to the Leadership to sharpen up or change policies.

Chris Huhne: The Liberal Democrat Christian Forum is a gathering point within the party for Christians, enabling a discussion of how the Christian ethic can inform political activity. Christianity has been an important motivating force for many of our activists and members for as long as the party has existed, and the Forum allows an interchange of ideas and views that its members find rewarding. That in turn confirms an important group in the service of the party, and puts forward distinctively Christian positions to the party.

Q2. How would you encourage the participation of faith-based groups in the Liberal Democrat Party?

Nick: The danger is that politicians who do not belong to a faith group can either be antagonistic towards those who do or else patronising and ill-informed.  My job is to take Christians and all others in the Liberal Democrats who have a professed faith, extremely seriously.  I see LDCF and other faith groups as sources of inspiration and rigorous critique as we develop our policies.  Christians in the Liberal Democrats - along with all other faith and avowedly non-faith groups - will have a secure home and under my Leadership.

Chris: My door will be open to faith-based groups to listen and discuss their views on the direction of society, the party and policy. I think a healthy dialogue is crucial, and the party’s debate on many issues would be far poorer without the distinctive contribution that faith-based groups can make in many fields, both foreign and domestic.