A Labour MP’s attempt to criticise a Government department for presumed excessive festive spending backfired spectacularly earlier his week. Robert Neill, a minister in the Communities Department, highlighted the Government’s commitment to a Christian Christmas. He was responding to Caroline Flint, Labour’s Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary. She asked ‘how many Christmas parties and drinks receptions his Department plans to host in December 2010’. Robert Neill, MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, responded on behalf of the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles. He said: ‘As the Secretary of State indicated in his departmental press notice of 29 November 2010, the new Administration is committed to celebrating Christmas, including its Christian heritage. Ministers recognise that we live in frugal times due to the need to pay off the significant public deficit and national debt. But there is no need to play Scrooge. We should not allow politically correct Grinches to marginalise the importance of the birth of Christ.’

Pray: that the UK Government continues to ensure that Christianity is not marginalised. (Jn.1:17)

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/govt-tells-labour-were-not-ashamed-of-christmas-cheer/