When a far-right march was announced for Liverpool — billed as a 'Walk with Jesus Rally' by UKIP — the church leaders of the city did not stay silent. Senior figures from across denominations, including Revd Geoff Felton, Moderator of the United Reformed Church's Mersey Synod, issued a joint statement condemning the event.

The statement matters for several reasons. First, it is an act of clarity: the church leaders are saying, plainly, that this march does not represent the Jesus they follow. The Jesus of the Gospels welcomed the outsider, ate with the despised, and called his followers to love their neighbours — all their neighbours. A march that trades on his name while promoting exclusion and hostility is a distortion of the gospel.

Second, it is an act of solidarity. Liverpool has significant communities of people who would be targeted by far-right ideology — Muslim families, Black and Asian residents, migrants and refugees. When church leaders speak out, they are standing with those communities, not just defending an abstract principle.

Third, it is a reminder that the church has a public voice — and a responsibility to use it. In a political climate where religious language is increasingly co-opted by nationalist movements, the church's willingness to say "not in our name" is both necessary and courageous.

The URC's Mersey Synod has published the full joint statement on its website.