A HAMPSHIRE bishop is urging people across the county to vote this year.

The Right Reverend Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester is appealing for people to get involved in the general election in May.

It comes after he worked alongside the House of Bishops of the Church of England to send a letter to parishes across the country expressing hopes for political parties to create a new vision.

The letter read “In Britain, we have become so used to believing that self-interest drives every decision, that it takes a leap of imagination to argue that there should be stronger institutions for those we disagree with as well as for those on our side.”

The letter defended the right of the church to enter into the political arena: “The claim that religion and political life must be kept separate is, in any case, frequently disingenuous – most politicians and pundits are happy enough for the churches to speak on political issues so long as the church agrees with their particular line.

In closing, the bishops wrote: “Unless we exercise the democratic rights that our ancestors struggled for, we will share responsibility for the failures of the political classes.

“It is the duty of every Christian adult to vote, even though it may have to be a vote for something less than a vision that inspires us.”

Bishop Tim added: “It is crucially important that Christians participate fully in the democratic process and that they vote. As Bishops, our role is not to tell people who to vote for, but to encourage people to use their vote wisely to ensure that all those elected are prepared to work collaboratively for the common good of society.

“Our letter is designed to set out the principles which we believe Christians across the UK should follow when they come to vote in May.”