Saints and Sinners

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Mr Osborne...you would agree with that, I presume? You have regularly called for greater transparency before you joined the national government?" Petworth said, expertly moving the debate on and involving all his guests.

"Absolutely, Justin...the Christian Democratic Alliance must stop treating the people of this country like mushrooms...and that is certainly what I am saying to them in Cabinet and in the House...but this negotiation with the United Nations is complex and has needed to be completed discreetly. Now that Charles has spoken out...which I applaud...the full terms of our treaty with the Security Council must be made public...because it is not all about cash anymore." Osborne said, turning to address the audience and speaking with confidence. "One way or another, our renaissance has hit the buffers since the death of Alistair Forbes and the emergence of the mistakes made around Covid and the Hycanil vaccine. The world thinks that we have gone too far in a number of areas and they are demanding reform and what that looks like should be a public debate?"

"Which brings us nicely to our second question of the evening...from Mr Donovan?"

"Considering the announcement that Bishop Osborne is making proposals to reform the Church and the Order...should we not just stick to the old adage, if it ain't broke...don't fix it?" A slightly younger man with a loud red tie and a shock of blond hair asked, to murmurs of approval from the audience.

"Yes...and we don't know what those proposals look like of course...Mr Osborne, perhaps you can enlighten us? What is your father recommending to Cabinet?"

"I think the principal that my father started from is that what is needed now from our great institutions is so very different from what was needed in twenty-twenty-one? Radical social change was necessary and Charles and his colleagues at the time imposed that change, with the Church and the Order playing leading roles in providing structure and discipline to a very damaged society who needed to be reined in and put back on the rails. But forty odd years later, we are a genuinely pious Christian country and there is scope for reducing the levels of discipline and letting people bask in God's love?"

"Mr Vice President...the Order is the backbone of this country, surely?"

"It is...but Bellamy is right...we must change with the times?" Montague replied, wishing that the people knew rather more about what had been going on inside the convents, but not willing to go that far with his revelations. "I know that the good bishop is keen on allowing our holy Sisters to write and receive letters from their families, and perhaps get visits...as well as ensuring that the conditions inside our convents are appropriate..."

Petworth moved the debate onwards, covering all the topics of the day, and both Montague and Osborne lit a few more fuses, touching on several subjects that Nick Symonds was not going to like them talking about. But that was his problem. He was still the President, and he still had the executive power of that office, but the national government was a collective and he could not sack anyone for speaking their minds. Montague's intention was to nudge a few issues out into the light, to put pressure on both Nick and Connor, hopefully without causing riots in the streets. And all was going well, until the last question of the evening from a man called Liam Nelson in the front row.

"What will the next government look like and will we have to wait until twenty-seventy to see it?"

"Mr Montague?"

"Personally, I think...and hope...that the next elected government will look very different to what we have seen since Kieran Radcliffe had to retire in twenty-fifty-seven. For the last eight years, the Christian Democratic Alliance has been too severe in my view, unnecessarily intrusive and unwilling to trust the British people with the truth. We have all talked a little about greater transparency and openness from the government, but we should also have free access to world news and a chance to express our opinions...and also deal with all of our responsibilities as we see fit...not as the government makes us? I think we have just lived through the first phase of the modern renaissance...which was very successful and certainly transformed this country from the basket case I inherited in twenty-twenty-one to a strong economy with high standards of living, world-class education and excellent healthcare...but our last two Presidents clearly had no idea what to do next? I hope the next government will be elected on a manifesto of less restrictions, more freedom of choice and open government that helps people grow and live happy lives. But it will be so important not to go too far, too fast...the second phase of our modern renaissance must put the iron fist inside a velvet glove and proceed with care."