Why I admire Rowan Williams more than Nigel Hastilow

The latter is the chap who infamously said Enoch Powell was right when he gave his notorious "rivers of blood" anti-immigration speech.

Hastilow stepped down as the Conservative candidate because he was asked to apologise for what he wrote. As it was what he genuinely believed, he could not, with integrity, do that.

I admire that.

Unlike Hastilow, Williams has chosen not to speak his mind, or at least not all of it, since he was confirmed Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Times has today published what it purports to be new evidence that Williams believes gay sexual relationships can reflect the love of God in a way that is comparable to marriage.

This information is not new to anyone who knew him before he put on the top mitre - but six years on is it worth being reminded how resolutely shtum he has been since he took on the role of holding the Anglican church together.

I admire that too.

Now for the interesting question. There are two kinds of integrity here.

Hastilow's is a personal integrity. He speaks his truth even when the consequences are the loss of much hoped for parliamentary career.

Williams's integrity is more complex. He looks for the greater good of his institution even when the consequences are the loss of voicing his deeply considered theological views.

Of those two integrities, which is the greater?

I don't know, but I do know which is the tougher and it's Williams's by a very long way.

I could imagine losing all sorts of things - my reputation, my income, my friends, my freedom - and I would for the sake of causes in which I passionately I believed.

But being unable to speak out about things I have considered as painstakingly as Williams has.....For me that is one sacrifice too far.

I know I could do what Hastilow has done. I don't know if I could do what Williams is doing and that is why I admire him more.