The leader of the Liberal Democrats in the UK has resigned following an election campaign dogged by questions about his faith. Tim Farron is politically liberal, yet also an evangelical Christian and he was repeatedly asked by media on the campaign trail whether he thought abortion and gay sex were sinful even though he supports both abortion and gay marriage. After a poor showing by his party in the election, he submitted his resignation, citing difficulties with faith in particular: “To be a political leader – especially of a progressive, liberal party in 2017 – and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible’s teaching, has felt impossible for me”. Even though he steadfastly kept his religion out of his politics, he said he found himself “the subject of suspicion because of what I believe and who my faith is in”. He concluded: “we are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society. That’s why I have chosen to step down as leader of the Liberal Democrats.” The former Liberal Democrat MP, Lord Alton of Liverpool, also released a statement where he lambasted the party for its intolerance of faith.  “It is ironic that a Party, which I joined as a teenager, because of its belief in conscience, human rights and free speech, has morphed into something so narrow and intolerant…that its leader has been forced to choose between his Faith and his Party.”