The Week According To . . . Richard Taylor

In this episode of Hearts of Oak, hosts Peter and Richard Taylor discuss Conservative MP Danny Kruger's speech on the Church of England's connection to democracy and the decline of Christian values in politics. They explore the new political party Advance UK, Richard's involvement, and the challenges in Wales under Labour. The episode also covers the Together Declaration's campaign against digital IDs, national security concerns, skepticism about voting rights for 16-year-olds, and Rupert Lowe MP's petition on child sexual offenders. Richard emphasizes the need for accountability and fairness in the justice system, alongside a call for increased public engagement in political discourse.

 

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Interview Recorded 18.07.25

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Partial Transcript

[0:26]

Introduction to Hearts of Oak

Hearts of Oak

 

[0:23]And hello, Hearts of Oak. Thanks so much for joining us on another News Review. And it's great to have a Welsh voice back with us. It's been a while. And that is Richard Taylor. Richard, thanks so much for your time as always.

Richard Taylor

 

[0:36]Peter, always a privilege, never a pressure. And I've enjoyed our previous episodes as well. It's been fantastic. And it's nice to be back on your show again.

Hearts of Oak

 

[0:45]Great to have you. And so much to discuss. And obviously follow Richard. There is his X handle. All the other links are in the description. Now, maybe the first thing was a video, a speech in the House of Commons this week. So let me bring that up because it kind of shows where we are as a nation. It's a whole 10 minutes. We're not going to play all 10 minutes. But let me bring up part of it and then we can comment. This is Danny Kruger, one of the good, one of the few good conservative MPs. But here is Danny speaking to an empty chamber.

Richard Taylor

 

[1:29]It is an honour to stand here in this empty chamber to speak about the original purpose of this space, which was a chapel in the Church of England. The old chamber of the House of Commons on which this space is modelled after the Great Fire of 1834 was St Stephen's Chapel, formerly a royal church, given by the heirs of Henry VIII to Parliament to serve as its debating chamber.

Richard Taylor

 

[1:57]And Madam Deputy Speaker, your chair stands on the altar steps, and the table with the dispatch boxes is where the lectern stood. And I mention this because the link between this place and the Church of England isn't merely ceremonial. The prayers we say here at the start of every day aren't just a nod to tradition. Our democracy is founded on Christian faith and indeed this parliament remains the law-giving power of the Church of England. We in this place have the responsibility to approve or disapprove the doctrine and the rules of the church. And that is as it should be, because the Church of England is not some private club, just another eccentric denomination. The church is a chaplain to the nation, and through the parish system in which every square inch of England has its local church and its local priest, we are all members. We all belong. Even if you never set foot in your church from one year to the next, even if you don't believe in its teachings, it is your church, and you are its member. And so when I speak of the Church of England today, I am not speaking about the internal politics of the Anglican sect. I speak of the common creed of our country, the official religion of the English and the British nation and the institution which, older than the monarchy, much older than parliament, is the institution that made this country.

Hearts of Oak

 

[3:21]We could play the whole, but fascinating speech and one that you don't normally

[3:29]

Danny Kruger's Speech Reaction

Hearts of Oak

 

[3:27]hear any longer in the house. What were your thoughts as you watched that powerful speech by Danny Kruger MP?

Richard Taylor

 

[3:36]Well, I think the first thing is striking to note that there was hardly anybody in the chamber. I mean, that was quite astonishing for me, given the gravitas of what he was actually saying, that we are a Christian nation. and those principles are vital to our identity and our heritage. And, you know, I tweeted earlier that it's a shame that others in Parliament don't think that it's worthy of their time to be part of a debate that establishes us, not just our Parliament, but us as a Christian nation. And I think that is under threat. I think it's been under threat for quite a while because of open borders,

Richard Taylor

 

[4:13]Because we've been infiltrated by multiculturalism, which in some cases has not been good for the united kingdom and i think there's been a it's been diluted really the christian message in our country and parliamentarians are responsible for that you know we've got a a branch within uh parliament right now that are so far left-wing progressives that seem to think that their Christianity is long gone and forgotten but let's not forget and remind ourselves that our whole parliamentary system was set up around those moral principled and and christian values and i think it's important to recognize that and i was absolutely appalled by the fact that there was hardly anybody in the chamber but i would applaud him for speaking out and the words that he said i would absolutely he has my full support and you know i really think Paul that our heritage is vital to our identity it's so important that we hold on to the values that made the United Kingdom what it is today. And I think a lot of that has been, it's been a road did, unfortunately, because we've seen politicians, consecutive governments move away from it and only claim to be a Christian nation when it suits their political narrative.

[5:35]

Advances in UK Politics

Hearts of Oak

 

[5:31]No, it's so true. And such a powerful speech. Depressing the chamber was empty and something that we don't really see any longer in terms of politicians holding on to their faith because they don't actually have any faith. Um but let's move on to advance UK and it just fits that we had ben Habib with us on Thursday um just a few days ago uh and you've been involved with advance UK and advance UK has also gone welsh tell us a little bit more about how those in wales can enjoy the benefits as advance UK only coming up to three weeks old, but already over in Wales?

Richard Taylor

 

[6:22]Yeah, I think the first thing to say is that, of course, Advance UK is about a one-nation state. We believe in the freedom of speech, sovereignty, and equality under the law. Those are the guiding principles and the mission of the party. And, you know, one of the wonderful things about Advance UK and why I got involved in it, you know my previous kind of political relationships with Reform and Nigel Farage and others, you know, that I've stood in previous elections.

Hearts of Oak

 

[6:47]All forgiven.

Richard Taylor

 

[6:48]Thank you for that, yeah. It's because I simply saw, and I've been friends with Ben since 2016, actually, when I interviewed him on one of my programs called Rich Politics. And, you know, he has been integral and absolutely authentic on his principles when it comes to what he believes in. And he's a man of honor. I, you know, I've spoken to him personally and believe in him and what he's trying to do to save our nation, because right now our nation faces existential threat because we've given powers over the foreign bodies, super institutions outside of the UK, and we need to reclaim our sovereignty. And one of the most attractive things about this party, Advanced UK, is it is so democratic that the members get a say. Unlike reform, where Farage is reform and reform is Farage, And, you know, with with the way that we've set up Advanced UK here in the United Kingdom, of course, I've been given the task, and I'm really humbled and honored that Ben invited me to do so to lead up the party here in Wales, you know, Wales is a different beast altogether. As you can imagine, we have the Welsh Parliament, the Welsh Government here and the Welsh Labour and devolution has been an absolute disaster for the last two decades.

Richard Taylor

 

[8:08]I think Advanced UK offers something different. I think in previous interviews, and one that you did, I watched with our leader Ben Habib talking about we don't need foxes, we need lions. We need people who really believe in our nation, in our sovereignty, and fighting for those things, and our history and our values that have been eroded. I think Advanced UK really stands for that. I'm a patriotic Welshman. You know that, Peter, from previous interviews. And I feel Wales has lost its way in the inertia of what's happening with Westminster. We have a Labour government in Westminster, Labour here in Wales, but they seem unable to work together. You know, in Wales in particular, we have the lowest standards of education under the PISA system. We have the longest waiting list in our NHS.

[8:59]

The State of Wales

Richard Taylor

 

[8:59]Child poverty is some of the highest in the whole of the United Kingdom. And so Wales has suffered tragically under Welsh Labour here in Wales. And I think it's time for change. Now, I appreciate that we're a new party and we've got targets to set and we're looking at 2029 as being the main objective. But I think Advanced UK offers something completely different from all the other parties. It is unique. It is different in the way it's set up. For example, I think Ben mentioned to you that we have a college of members of which some announcements are going to be made. About that and the college will hold the executive directors to account and it's more democratic than any other political party that I've ever been involved in previously and that is why I was drawn to it and when Ben invited me I looked at it first up to the constitution went through it all with my team and thought you know what this is something I can get behind because the mission statements the pillars about nation-state and about freedom of speech sovereignty and equality under the law are things that are very, very special and dear to my heart, given the two-tier justice system that we're seeing right now across the whole spectrum in the country.

Hearts of Oak

 

[10:12]I'm looking forward to seeing that grow.

Hearts of Oak

 

[10:16]I love Richard on because his musical lilt instead of my flat Northern Irish tune. It's lovely. I just get lost in that and forget that we have another story. Let me bring up the next one.

[10:36]

Digital ID Concerns

Hearts of Oak

 

[10:32]This is, Richard was talking about Wales, but over in Westminster. This was the wonderful stunt that Together Declaration did. Shining no to digital ID on the side of Parliament in the middle of London Together declaration. And Alan Miller had put, we just beamed no to digital IDs up in Parliament. They keep trying, but we won't stop. No to digital ID, yes to digital Bill of Rights. And it is, I love the way Together keep pushing this conversation that we need to have, that we need protections and rights in all different areas and certainly in the digital space as we are pushed for digital ID. So, yeah, I was quite jealous of that picture, Richard. I would love if I'd been involved in shining a message of such importance up there. But no, Dem, you've been involved with together, doing a fantastic way at Alan on probably a week or 10 days ago. And this shows the importance of Together declaration for keeping these issues in the public eye.

Richard Taylor

 

[11:45]One of the extraordinary things about the Together Declaration, and one of its strengths, is that it's non-political, apolitical. In basic terms, you know, it's not a political party.

Richard Taylor

 

[11:55]And they stand up for the beliefs that I believe in, certainly, and that's to do with freedom of speech, bodily autonomy, all the things that we fought against. And a few years ago, you may recall that we had 360,000 signatories to fight back against vaccine passports and mandatory vaccines for NHS workers. And I was privileged and honoured and humbled to be with Alan and the rest of the team and Adam Brooks and many others as well to go down to 10 Downing Street to present the petition, which resulted in an absolute success and the government doing a U-turn on it. So, you know, they've got good credibility. And Alan and his team are phenomenal. I was part of their team and the executive for some time before stepping away, got involved in other things. But, you know, one of the things that concerns me personally is the whole digital ID. This is the nanny state, the Brit car that they want to bring in, which will control what you know and your data and gather information about you, what you're doing, where you're spending, where you're going, where you're traveling. And the tactic that they're using, and it's part of the globalist agenda,

[13:00]

Together Declaration's Impact

Richard Taylor

 

[12:58]is that we're trying to keep you safe. When the government tries to tell you they're trying to keep you safe, you've got to read between the lines of that narrative because it's not true. And I think what they're doing, this digital bill of rights, I should say, is very important because what it does,

Richard Taylor

 

[13:16]They're trying to push it as a mandatory thing so that people sign up to it. And we know where this is going. It's a cashless society. And I believe it's going to be a cardless society. And most of us are going to end up paying and using these things more and more, which we do currently now. And everything will be on there. All your information will be accessible. And one of the frightening things about the Brit card

Richard Taylor

 

[13:39]Apparently, even employers can download a free app and they can check out your details, if you apply for a job, that is, and find out all the information about you if they can. It also gives these super-intentioned institutions access to your personal data.

Richard Taylor

 

[13:54]And I think that's a very worrying place to be right now. We have biometrics. We have all these things going on. And it's all part of, if you like, I mean, I might sound like a conspiracy theorist. It's all part of the Bill Gates agenda. It's this globalist elitism that wants to control the populace and control your information and harvest all your information so they can control you, so they can put fear on you and send you messages. And so it's a very concerning thing. So I think what the Together Declaration are doing is an absolutely essential part of what all of us should be getting on board with. And we should support them in fighting back against the digital ID because we know where this is going. Those of us who are awake to it can see it afar off. I know you do as well, Peter. You've seen it coming down the road like many of us. And it's about controlling the masses and they're doing it. And, of course, I could digress, but AI is a big part of that as well. I'm quite concerned about some of that. There are beneficial parts of it, but there's also some things I'm concerned about because people then will be able to trace track and know your spending habits, where you're going, who you're with, what you're doing. I mean, I don't want people to know my personal business, but this is what the government is set out to do because they want to know exactly what you're up to. And that is a nanny state, which I will always on that hill die and fight against because it is not something I believe a government should be involved in our Government Accountability Issues.