Sharing my views has led to death threats - bishop

The bishop says free speech is a gift that needs to be used with responsibility

The Bishop of Blackburn has said he has received death threats after expressing his point of view on issues in the news.

The Right Reverend Philip North regularly comments on controversial subjects and recently said church leaders had been collectively silent on grooming gangs, in an article for The Church of England Newspaper.

"Anyone in public life, bishops included, are going to get abuse," he said. "It's where we draw these lines, where does legitimate use of free speech become hate?" Bishop North said. "It's a difficult line to draw."

"Sometimes I feel held back by not wanting to cause offence, but I think free speech is a gift that needs to be used with responsibility," he added.

"People are calling for my death. That is obviously illegitimate, that's hate speech," he said.

"If people are saying, 'Bishop Philip you're talking an absolute load of tosh, I wish you would shut up', actually I think they have a right to say that."

'Tremendous gift'

He added "almost anybody in public life, expressing views especially in an age of social media, is putting up with pretty abhorrent stuff", but "what I get is nothing compared to the sort of thing my female colleagues get".

"It's horrible," he said. "There must be a line between what is legitimate, taking an issue, expressing views strongly, and what is hate speech."

Bishop North told BBC Radio Lancashire the pressure on those in the public eye was intense, but "free speech is a tremendous gift".

"I don't feel held back from speaking out about what I think, but there is an issue for Christians. About what it means to cause offence," he said.

Bishop North has also spoken out on government benefits cuts, saying it will send people who are already struggling "deeper into poverty" due to the lack of investment in support measures.