Are internecine Anglican church politics and Catholic turmoil over child abuse adequate preparation for the Labour snakepit?
The Guardian reports: Given Ed Miliband’s start to the year, you might think he is in need of prayer – but that’s not necessarily why his new chief of staff, Tim Livesey, will be on retreat at a Catholic monastery in Sussex this week, before starting work in the Labour leader’s office on Monday. The party, whose leadership Alastair Campbell once claimed “does not do God”, is about to be joined by someone who most definitely does.
Livesey, 52, joins Miliband’s team from Lambeth Palace, where he has served the Archbishop of Canterbury for the past six years, first as secretary for public affairs and then as adviser for international affairs – at first sight, an unusual posting for a Roman Catholic.
Before that, Livesey fulfilled a similar role for two years for the then English leader of his own faith, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, across the river at Westminster Cathedral.
He got on well with both men, but his career has been more than one mired in religious affairs. He was a career diplomat and assistant press officer in Downing Street under Campbell, without too obviously getting out the rosary beads.
More at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2012/jan/25/tim-livesey-profile-ed-miliband-adviser