Nicholas Baines

LATEST ARTICLES ( 623 )

• Queen’s Speech: Foreign Policy

  This is the text of a speech I gave this afternoon in the first day of debate in the House of Lords on the Queen’s Speech (foreign affairs, defence,... Read more

  Posted on 07 January 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Shape of You

  This is the script of this morning’s Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Show.I know it’s easy to get out of touch, but I was a bit boggled to read the... Read more

  Posted on 04 December 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Karaoke

  

  This is the script of this morning’s Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Show as Rylan completed his karaokathon in aid of the Children in Need... Read more

  Posted on 13 November 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• The Fall of the Wall

  

  Thirty years ago today the Berlin Wall fell. What follows is the basic text of a lecture I gave at Bradford Cathedral on Wednesday 6 November. It was followed b... Read more

  Posted on 09 November 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Brexit Debate in the House of Lords

  This is the verbatim text of my speech in the debate in the House of Lords today on Brexit and the PM’s deal. There was a five minute speech limit and I was... Read more

  Posted on 19 October 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Judy

  This is the script of this morning’s Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Show:I don’t often get the chance, but I went to the cinema the other day to se... Read more

  Posted on 15 October 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• The Rule of Law (a Sermon)

  I was invited by the Dean of Manchester to preach in his Cathedral at the annual Service to mark the beginning of the Legal Year this morning. There was a... Read more

  Posted on 06 October 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• BBC and Indarjit Singh

  I have just seen the report in today’s Times newspaper about Lord Singh’s withdrawal from doing Thought for the Day on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. I am... Read more

  Posted on 04 October 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Freedom is Coming

  

  Last night I did a lecture in South Creake, Norfolk, and addressed the theme of my new book ‘Freedom is Coming’, seeking to distil lessons for today from the... Read more

  Posted on 28 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Language and Leadership

  The language used in the House of Commons last night is probably unprecedented. Drawing the name of a murdered MP into the fight was, at the very least,... Read more

  Posted on 26 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Blake’s Vision

  This is the script of this morning’s Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.“And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England’s mountains... Read more

  Posted on 20 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• The Sins of the Fathers

  This is the script of this morning’s Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.The other day I was browsing the German political journal Der Spiegel... Read more

  Posted on 13 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• 9/11

  This is the script of this morning’s Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2 with Zoe Ball.I know I’m getting old, but I have to admit: forgetting dates isn’t an... Read more

  Posted on 11 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Mind Your Language

  This is the text of a commissioned article published today in the excellent Yorkshire Post.Anything can happen. A statement of the obvious, maybe, but it is als... Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• What Price Truth?

  This is the text of an article commissioned by the Church Times and published last Thursday. I have been asked why I don’t target Jeremy Corbyn – the simple... Read more

  Posted on 08 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 6) Bill: Speech

  This is the Hansard record of my speech in the debate in the House of Lords on Thursday. As usual, it’s only afterwards that you think of a better way of... Read more

  Posted on 06 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Speaking in Code

  This is the script of this morning’s Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme:This year marks the hundredth anniversary of what is now called GCHQ... Read more

  Posted on 06 September 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Brexit Letter

  Twenty five diocesan bishops signed an open letter that was published today. It was slightly overtaken by the news of the Prime Minister’s intention to... Read more

  Posted on 28 August 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Dominion

  

  Coming to Headingley for the third day of the third Ashes Test match was as much an act of hope (if you are English, that is) as optimism. Read more

  Posted on 25 August 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• TV, Politics and Accountability

  This year’s MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival was given by Dorothy Byrne and it is brilliant – sharp, incisive, important and very funny. Read more

  Posted on 22 August 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY