Welcome to Sunday morning with Trevor Phillips. This is Palm Sunday, the start of the most

important week in the Christian calendar. For most Brits, the state religion isn't as important as it

used to be. But what's going on in the pews parallels much of what's happening

in politics. People used to mock the Church of England as the Tory Party at Prayer. The two

institutions still do have a lot in common. Both are centuries old, both deeply embedded in the

English establishment. And as of this week, with the installation of Dame Sarah Malali as Archbishop of Canterbury, both are led by women.

On the downside, both have been shedding members and worshippers at an alarming rate.

They're prone to massive internal divisions, often about sex, and both are under challenge from noisy,

charismatic rivals. Of course, something similar has been happening on the left of politics

with the collapse of labour support. The Conservative and Labour parties are used to battling

it out for votes in the centreground of politics. But now, there's a whole new challenge in prospect for them.

They're having to compete with rivals who scorn the British tradition of moderation and muddling through.

On Iran, on economy, on climate change, on immigration, neither Mr Farage nor Mr Polanski is going out of his way to attract votes in what they probably

privately think of as the soggy centre. Like the Died in the World Religious Traditionalists and the

happy-clappy Liberals in the church, the Greens and Reform are each offering the clarity of the

religious zealot, unsullied by any compromise with reality.

Their gambling, Mr Farage especially, their core vote can deliver the power they want.

In less than six weeks, the Scottish, Welsh and local elections will begin to see if they're right.

Let's start with the government.

Little earlier, I spoke to the Education Secretary, Bridget Philipson.

Bridget Philipson, Marco Rubio, says that the war won't be a prolonged conflict.

He says, weeks rather than month.

...