Christian Party (UK)

Christian Party
Leader Jeff Green
Founded 2005
Ideology Christian right
Euroscepticism
Social conservatism
Political position Right-wing
National affiliation Alliance for Democracy
European affiliation None
International affiliation None
European Parliament group None
Colours Violet
Website
http://www.ukchristianparty.org/

The Christian Party, which includes the Scottish Christian Party[1] and the Welsh Christian Party,[2] is a minor political party in Great Britain. Members of the Christian Peoples Alliance split off in 2004 under George Hargreaves to found the Christian Party, which compared to the CPA, has more of a Christian right perspective. Its leader is now Jeff Green.

History

The party originated as Operation Christian Vote, founded by George Hargreaves, a Pentecostal minister and former songwriter, in May 2004. It was based in Stornoway, Scotland.[3] It contested the 2004 European Elections in the Scotland constituency,[4] gaining 1.8% of the popular vote.

Hargreaves was a candidate for Operation Christian Vote in the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election in 2004 where he received 90 votes, last place in a field of seven candidates, and lost his deposit. In the 2005 general election, Hargreaves stood in Na h-Eileanan an Iar, where he was placed fourth, ahead of the Conservatives, and retained his deposit with 1,048 votes or 7.6%.

The party was involved in protests, such as at Glasgow.[5]

The party became known as the Christian Party.

Registration as a party

The party was registered by the Electoral Commission on 29 April 2004, with the name 'Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship!"'.[2] It has registered nine party descriptions, and two translations, to be used on ballot papers, namely:

In June 2012, legal action was taken against the Christian Party treasurer by the Electoral Commission for £2,750 for failure to supply accounts for two years as well as for failure to pay previous fines.[6] The party de-registered the following month. Hargreaves was given a further 6 months to supply accounts, but failed to do so and was consequently fined a further £3,000 on top of a previous fine of £1,125 for failing to meet the deadline for provision of accounts.[7]

As a result, the party was de-registered in July 2012 and after the regulatory 6 months had elapsed, re-registered under a new party RPP under the leadership of Jeff Green. Sue Green is the party treasurer and Dr Donald Boyd is the nominating officer and leader of the Scottish Christian Party. The leader of the Welsh Christian Party and overall leader is Green.

Elections

The Rev Hargreaves (2nd from left in candidates line-up) and other candidates who contested the Glasgow Baillieston constituency in the Scottish Parliament election, 2007.

Candidates from the party stood in the Sedgefield and Ealing Southall by-elections in 2007. The party received 26,575 votes (0.7%) in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election and 8,693 votes (0.9%) in the 2007 Welsh Assembly Election; it did not come close to winning any seats.

Hargreaves stood for the party at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008, and received 76 votes or 0.3% of the total votes cast.

The party competed in the 2009 European elections. Its campaign was mainly focussed in London. The British Humanist Association had put up advertisements on London buses saying "there's probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life". The party then produced similar adverts saying "there definitely is a God, so join the Christian Party and enjoy your life."[8] The advert received over 1,000 complaints. On election day, the party retained one deposit in the London region through gaining 51,336 votes (2.9%).

In the 2010 general election, the party stood 71 candidates, gaining 18,623 votes.[9]

The newly re-registered Christian Party contested the Eastleigh by-election in February 2013 with its candidate Kevin Milburn, a retired former prison officer and health care worker who stood against same-sex marriage.[10] He received 163 votes (0.4%).

The Christian Party fielded nine candidates in the 2015 general election who between them polled 3,205 votes.[11] Only John Cormack in Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) saved his deposit with 6.6%; the other eight each received less than 1% of the votes cast. In the Scottish Parliament constituency covering the Western Isles John Cormack received 8.8% of the vote at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, coming fourth ahead of the Liberal Democrats.

Policies

The party's mission statement is, “Christians working together to bring Christian concern, goodwill and action into the community, education, business and politics.”[12]

The party's website includes a statement of its policies[13] which include the following:

Banking[14]

'Law and order' manifesto[15]

Health[16]

Social security[17]

Immigration[18]

Environment[19]

Government and democracy[20]

'Respect for the human person' manifesto[21]

Defence[22]

In 2007 George Hargreaves campaigned to replace the Flag of Wales with the Flag of Saint David, claiming that the red dragon on the Welsh flag was "nothing less than the sign of Satan".[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Scottish Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship"".
  2. 1 2 "Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship"". Register of political parties. The Electoral Commission. 29 April 2004. Retrieved 27 June 2008.
  3. ↑ http://www.whfp.com/1677/editor.html Archived March 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Scotland On Sunday".
  5. ↑ "Christian right forces attack "blasphemous" British television comedy".
  6. ↑ Electoral Commission press release, "Electoral Commission fines the Christian Party Proclaiming Christs Lordship treasurer and Ashfield and Mansfield Liberal Democrats", 14 June 2012
  7. ↑ Electoral Commission press release, "Electoral Commission fines former treasurer of the Christian Party Proclaiming Christs Lordship", 14 February 2013
  8. ↑ Rebecca Smithers, "Christian party advert draws more than 1,000 complaints", The Guardian, 11 March 2009
  9. ↑ See Christian Party election results#2010 General Election for details.
  10. ↑ "Christian Party candidate standing in Eastleigh by-election", christiantoday.com, 16 February 2013
  11. ↑ BBC News Election 2015Results
  12. ↑ "Why a Christian Party?".
  13. ↑ "Christian Party Policies".
  14. ↑ "banking manifesto".
  15. ↑ "law and order manifesto".
  16. ↑ "health manifesto".
  17. ↑ "social security manifesto".
  18. ↑ "immigration manifesto".
  19. ↑ "environment manifesto".
  20. ↑ "government and democracy manifesto".
  21. ↑ "respect for the human person manifesto".
  22. ↑ "defence manifesto".
  23. ↑ Molly Watson, "Christian group wants 'evil' Welsh flag changed" Western Mail, 3 March 2007
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