I never thought I would find myself siding with Tony Blair. I’ve struggled to accept anything he’s had to say ever since he made the case for invading Iraq. In my opinion, it didn’t make sense then and subsequent events have only gone to show just how misguided he was.

And of course there’s also the question of trust. I have found it difficult to take his words seriously ever since he published his ‘dodgy dossier.’ But on reflection, I guess it’s not too cynical to say that trust and politicians often make for strange bedfellows anyway.

And so I was surprised to find myself going along with him when he was interviewed about the vexed question of Brexit last week. Not that I was agreeing with the substance of what he had to say. I was simply championing his right to say it.

Mr. Blair, of course, thinks we got it wrong in the referendum and is doing all he can to get us to change our minds. But as they talked, the BBC’s John Humphries kept reminding him that he was flying in the face of the democratic process. The people have made their decision, he said, and that is final. We must accept it and make the most of it, whatever we think of it.

Now I agreed with the majority. I voted to leave. (Although I am no racist; I voted that way because I wanted us to take back control of our economy and borders. In other words I wanted to give sovereignty back to the British people).

And in that sense, I agree with John Humphries. We have decided to leave the EU and the government has a responsibility to see that our wishes are implemented. But that does not mean that there should be an end to the debate. I am passionately committed to freedom of speech because I believe we have been created in the image of God and we must afford everyone the right to say what they think and believe, and to try to persuade us to change our minds. For like it or not, there are times when we can get it wrong!

Interestingly, the Sunday Times columnist Dominic Lawson used the word ‘repent’ when he was discussing this last week. And it is a good word to use even though it’s more normally heard in a church context. Repentance means ‘a change of mind’ or to put it more simply to repent is ‘to do a U turn.’

We see that in the opening chapters of the New Testament where we read of Jesus travelling around the Galilean countryside calling on his contemporaries to ‘repent’ and believe His ‘good news.’ He was challenging them to come to their senses and to acknowledge that He had a God given right to be their ruler. And He wanted to assure them that they only stood to gain if they believed Him.

As we know, some took Him seriously, but the majority either ignored Him or did what they could to get rid of Him. And things are no different today. The world regularly tries to stifle or ignore the Christian message. But it always fails. In fact, people have frequently written the church off, but they’ve always ended up with ‘egg of their faces.’ And for one simple reason: Jesus is not dead. He is alive and still building His church, often in the most unpromising places.

There was a time when I thought all this was ‘baloney’, but thankfully, there were those who took advantage of our democratic freedoms and persuaded me to think otherwise. Not that I’m expecting to change my mind about Brexit.

But even if Dominic Lawson is correct to suggest that the ex-PM, among others, is being driven by a secret agenda to embrace the euro, I will do all I can to defend his right to make his case. After all, I want the same freedom to make mine.

Rob James is a Baptist Pastor broadcaster and writer who currently operates as a church and media consultant for the Evangelical Alliance Wales. He is available for preaching and teaching throughout Wales and can be contacted at [email protected]