Christian Peoples Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Christian Peoples Alliance is a Christian democratic
political party
in the United Kingdom
. Founded in its present form in 1999; it grew out of a cross-party advocacy group
known as the Movement for Christian Democracy. The party is active throughout England and has fledgling groups specific to Scotland
and Wales
. The party has two elected members as town councillors in England
. The current leader of the party in general is Alan Craig
, who took over the role from Ram Gidoomal in 2004.
Public awareness of the party was first achieved due to members standing in the London mayor elections, in which they achieved almost 100,000 votes. The values and policies the party looks to uphold — Christian democracy — were already reflected elsewhere in Europe
, but the Christian Peoples Alliance claim to have been the first to bring them to the United Kingdom. The CPA has also received encouragement from other Christian democrat parties and are affiliated with the European Christian Political Movement
.
As part of Christian social teaching, the party emphasises social justice
; commitment to the "poor, the elderly and the vulnerable". Based on the teaching of Jesus Christ, it also supports reconciliation
between classes, nations and peoples. CPA has also voiced advocation of environmentalism
when considering economic policies. An important part of the party's outlook is respect for life
, manifested in opposition to "abortion
as a form of contraception
, euthanasia
, cloning
and practices that directly or indirectly violate or de-value human life". The CPA holds that traditional marriage and the family
in general are essential bases for all social cohesion.
of other parties in the United Kingdom, along the lines of Norway's Christian Democratic Party and Sweden's Christian Democrats
— rather than a fundamentalist position. Since 2007 the party has been affiliated to the European Christian Political Movement
including its Youth Network
, an association of Christian Democrat parties, think tanks and politicians across Europe who also advocate a Christian Social
view. When the CPA joined, Federal President of the party Stephen Hammond stated; "we want to learn from what other Christian parties are doing in their own countries, but also make a distinctive British contribution ourselves". It also has good relations and has received encouragement from various other Christian democrats, such as Andre Rouvoet
of the Netherlands' ChristianUnion
, Päivi Räsänen
of Finland's Christian Democrats
and Senator Rónán Mullen
an independent member of Ireland's Seanad Éireann
amongst others.
From its inception in 1999, the party has taken the bulk of its membership from, amongst others — Anglicans
, Catholics
, Evangelicals and the Black Churches. Some of the latter group splintered off in 2004 under George Hargreaves
to found the Christian Party, which compared to the Christian Peoples Alliance has more of Christian right
perspective. The two parties remain separate entities, but enter electoral pacts with each other as Christian Party-Christian Peoples Alliance. The Christian Peoples Alliance does not limit its electoral appeal to just Christians, it quotes one supporter saying "I don't believe in God, but I do believe in Christian values". It generally looks to a range of people who feel disenfranchised by the stances of existing parties. It has also gained support from some people of minority religions as an opposition to secularism, social breakdown and moral relativism.
at a rally which drew an attendance of 2,000 people, with the motivation of providing an answer to increasing secularism
. The three founding members were David Alton, Derek Enright
and Ken Hargreaves
, who were Members of Parliament at the time representing the Liberal
, Labour
and Conservative
parties respectively. While the tradition of Christian democracy
parties was well established in many other parts of Europe
, it was not politically introduced into Britain until the MCD movement of the 1990s. The movement existed as a cross-party advocacy group
of sorts and although there were rumours in the media of it becoming a fully fledged political party it never materialised.
However, out of the movement its chairman Dr Alan Storkey and vice-chairman David Campanale, led an internal consultation of MCD members that led to the formation of the Christian Peoples Alliance by leading MCD activists in 1999. Elements of proportional representation
at local government level, brought about after the devolution of the Scottish Parliament
and Welsh Assembly saw the party gain confidence. By 2000 Ram Gidoomal had become leader of the party, a businessman and banker who had been awarded a CBE
. He had converted to Christianity from Hinduism
and is a Briton of Asian
background. Gidoomal stood for election for the London mayoral election, 2000
. Gaining 98,549 votes at the first attempt, the party surprised some; finishing 5th, ahead of the Greens
in first preference votes. The campaign was committed to winning more jobs for Londoners, leading to The Times
claiming, based on multiple choice results from a website run by New Statesman
: "if Londoners elected a mayor purely on how his or her policies match the electors' views [...] the winner would be Ram Gidoomal."
Following on from this, the party continued its activities, mostly in London such as fairly deprived working class areas like Canning Town
in Newham
. The Mayflower Declaration
was authored which laid out in detail the party's values and policies. It was at Canning Town in 2002 that Alan Craig
became the first ever Christian Democrat elected in Britain, as member of the local council. The party voiced its opposition to the prospect of the Iraq War, deeming it "illegal, unwise and immoral" — a position which they have stood by. After the London mayoral election, 2004
, Gidoomal stepped down as party leader to be succeeded by Cllr Alan Craig. The party stood members for the 2005 general election
with little success, yet a "blind candidating" contest run by BBC
's Newsnight
programme placed the party manifesto commitments second. The party had more success in 2006, gaining two more council seats in Canning Town. The following year the party made way into Northern England
, getting two members elected at parish council level for Aston-cum-Aughton
in Rotherham
.
The same year it also gained encouragement from Scottish Catholic bishops Keith O'Brien
and Philip Tartaglia
for its social stances, including marriage, rights for unborn children and supporting the Church in the adoption debate. The party also defended Anglican bishop Michael Nazir-Ali
after comments made in the media. The CPA campaigned against the building of Abbey Mills "mega mosque
" in West Ham, planned by an alleged radical sect, the party stated it was an "unwanted landmark" and would undermine community cohesion. More than 255,000 British people supported the stance in a petition on the Downing Street
website. As part of a party pact with the Christian Party, Craig stood for the London mayoral election, 2008
as The Christian Choice, gaining almost 3% of the vote. This was followed up with 249,493 votes at the European Parliament election 2009
, 1.6% of the total.
(after the Mayflower Family Centre in London's Canning Town). The use of the term "Mayflower Declaration" as a statement of the CPA's Principles must be regarded a controversial because the Mayflower Family Centre (of which, at the time of the declaration Alan Craig was Director)was a Community Centre registered with the Charity Commissioners. As such it was required to conform to Charity Commission rules, which preclude party political bias or association.
All the policies of the CPA are linked to these policies and are summarised as:
doctrine and supports a mixed market economy
, with an emphasis on the community, social solidarity, support for social welfare provision and some regulation
of market forces. The central theme being social justice
, responsible charity
and an emphasis on "people before profit". Within the Mayflower Declaration the party sets out as goals and desires; providing resources to discourage economic dependency and promote gainful employment. A holistic approach to care, which moves beyond mere financial assistance, as well as help for those in danger of being pushed to the margins of society, like the homeless and disabled.
won acceptance at government level. Its policies in support of marriage and church schools have become popular currency among secular parties.
The CPA has also taken a firm stand against the reclassification of cannabis, in favour of linking Christianity to the European Union constitution, building more church schools and supporting traditional Christian morality. He also has led campaigns backing the UNISON steward at Newham Council who faced disciplinary action; against plans to build London's large casino in Newham, against the Excel Arms Fair; against what he claims are Labour's plans to move local families out of Canning Town in support of yuppie housing. In fact this is a regeneration scheme and any families who move have been guaranteed a right to return by Labour Newham Council. Ironically though, last year, and before the recent reported fall in property prices,Craig himself sold a property close to the regeneration area and moved to Forest Gate.
He has also campaigned against proposals to demolish parts of Queen Street Market in favour of "non-invasive refurbishment" environment. Since its inception, the CPA has fought local authority elections at parish, borough, city and county level in London, Glasgow, Sheffield, Leeds, Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Gloucester, Northampton and Suffolk.
, however they have won some local government
council elections.
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Founded in its present form in 1999; it grew out of a cross-party advocacy group
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
known as the Movement for Christian Democracy. The party is active throughout England and has fledgling groups specific to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The party has two elected members as town councillors in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The current leader of the party in general is Alan Craig
Alan Craig
Alexander Alan Craig is the leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance party and a former councillor in the London Borough of Newham for Canning Town South....
, who took over the role from Ram Gidoomal in 2004.
Public awareness of the party was first achieved due to members standing in the London mayor elections, in which they achieved almost 100,000 votes. The values and policies the party looks to uphold — Christian democracy — were already reflected elsewhere in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, but the Christian Peoples Alliance claim to have been the first to bring them to the United Kingdom. The CPA has also received encouragement from other Christian democrat parties and are affiliated with the European Christian Political Movement
European Christian Political Movement
The European Christian Political Movement, abbreviated to ECPM, is a political party at European level that unites national parties from across Europe that share Christian democratic politics. The member parties are generally more socially conservative and Eurosceptic than the European People's...
.
As part of Christian social teaching, the party emphasises social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
; commitment to the "poor, the elderly and the vulnerable". Based on the teaching of Jesus Christ, it also supports reconciliation
Reconciliation (theology)
Reconciliation, a theological term, is an element of salvation that refers to the results of atonement. Reconciliation as a theological concept describes the end of the estrangement, caused by sin, between God and humanity. John Calvin describes reconciliation as the peace between humanity and...
between classes, nations and peoples. CPA has also voiced advocation of environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
when considering economic policies. An important part of the party's outlook is respect for life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, manifested in opposition to "abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
as a form of contraception
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
, euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, cloning
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
and practices that directly or indirectly violate or de-value human life". The CPA holds that traditional marriage and the family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
in general are essential bases for all social cohesion.
Membership and affiliations
Political writers have asserted that the Christian Peoples Alliance wish to create an alternative to the perceived moral relativismMoral relativism
Moral relativism may be any of several descriptive, meta-ethical, or normative positions. Each of them is concerned with the differences in moral judgments across different people and cultures:...
of other parties in the United Kingdom, along the lines of Norway's Christian Democratic Party and Sweden's Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Sweden)
The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf...
— rather than a fundamentalist position. Since 2007 the party has been affiliated to the European Christian Political Movement
European Christian Political Movement
The European Christian Political Movement, abbreviated to ECPM, is a political party at European level that unites national parties from across Europe that share Christian democratic politics. The member parties are generally more socially conservative and Eurosceptic than the European People's...
including its Youth Network
European Christian Political Youth Network
The European Christian Political Youth Network is an organisation that brings Christian, politically active young people from all over Europe together...
, an association of Christian Democrat parties, think tanks and politicians across Europe who also advocate a Christian Social
Christian socialism
Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel...
view. When the CPA joined, Federal President of the party Stephen Hammond stated; "we want to learn from what other Christian parties are doing in their own countries, but also make a distinctive British contribution ourselves". It also has good relations and has received encouragement from various other Christian democrats, such as Andre Rouvoet
André Rouvoet
André Rouvoet is a former Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion . First as a member of the RPF until the party merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007...
of the Netherlands' ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
, Päivi Räsänen
Päivi Räsänen
Päivi Maria Räsänen, née Kuvaja , is a Finnish politician. The chairwoman of the Christian Democrats since 2004, she is the current Minister of the Interior of Finland....
of Finland's Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Finland)
The Christian Democrats is a Christian democratic political party in Finland. Formerly known as the Finnish Christian League , the Christian Democrats have six seats in the Finnish Parliament and one in the European Parliament.The party was founded in 1958, chiefly from the Christian faction of...
and Senator Rónán Mullen
Rónán Mullen
Rónán Thomas Mullen is an independent Irish Senator and delegate to the Council of Europe. He was elected in the National University of Ireland Seanad constituency in July 2007 and re-elected for a second term in 2011. Mullen is a frequent media commentator on social and political topics...
an independent member of Ireland's Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
amongst others.
From its inception in 1999, the party has taken the bulk of its membership from, amongst others — Anglicans
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, Evangelicals and the Black Churches. Some of the latter group splintered off in 2004 under George Hargreaves
George Hargreaves (politician)
James George Hargreaves , known as George Hargreaves or J. G. Hargreaves, is a religious minister, political campaigner, leader of the Christian Party , and former music producer and songwriter.-Early life:...
to found the Christian Party, which compared to the Christian Peoples Alliance has more of Christian right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
perspective. The two parties remain separate entities, but enter electoral pacts with each other as Christian Party-Christian Peoples Alliance. The Christian Peoples Alliance does not limit its electoral appeal to just Christians, it quotes one supporter saying "I don't believe in God, but I do believe in Christian values". It generally looks to a range of people who feel disenfranchised by the stances of existing parties. It has also gained support from some people of minority religions as an opposition to secularism, social breakdown and moral relativism.
Early years
The roots of the party can be traced back to a movement founded in 1991 by Christians — both Protestants and Catholics — known as the Movement for Christian Democracy. It was founded in WestminsterCity of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
at a rally which drew an attendance of 2,000 people, with the motivation of providing an answer to increasing secularism
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
. The three founding members were David Alton, Derek Enright
Derek Enright
Derek Anthony Enright was a Labour politician in the United Kingdom.-Early life:Born in Thornaby-on-Tees, he attended the St Michael's College on St John's Road in Leeds , then a grammar school...
and Ken Hargreaves
Ken Hargreaves
Joseph Kenneth "Ken" Hargreaves MBE was the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Hyndburn constituency in Lancashire from 1983 to 1992...
, who were Members of Parliament at the time representing the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
parties respectively. While the tradition of Christian democracy
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
parties was well established in many other parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, it was not politically introduced into Britain until the MCD movement of the 1990s. The movement existed as a cross-party advocacy group
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
of sorts and although there were rumours in the media of it becoming a fully fledged political party it never materialised.
However, out of the movement its chairman Dr Alan Storkey and vice-chairman David Campanale, led an internal consultation of MCD members that led to the formation of the Christian Peoples Alliance by leading MCD activists in 1999. Elements of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
at local government level, brought about after the devolution of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
and Welsh Assembly saw the party gain confidence. By 2000 Ram Gidoomal had become leader of the party, a businessman and banker who had been awarded a CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
. He had converted to Christianity from Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and is a Briton of Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
background. Gidoomal stood for election for the London mayoral election, 2000
London mayoral election, 2000
The first election to the office of Mayor of London took place on 4 May 2000.-Results:¹Under the Supplementary Vote system, if no candidate receives 50% of 1st choice votes, 2nd choice votes are added to the result for the top two 1st choice candidates...
. Gaining 98,549 votes at the first attempt, the party surprised some; finishing 5th, ahead of the Greens
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
in first preference votes. The campaign was committed to winning more jobs for Londoners, leading to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
claiming, based on multiple choice results from a website run by New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
: "if Londoners elected a mayor purely on how his or her policies match the electors' views [...] the winner would be Ram Gidoomal."
Craig leadership
Canning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
in Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
. The Mayflower Declaration
Mayflower Declaration
The Mayflower Declaration is a statement of political philosophy designed to be compatible with mainstream Christian beliefs and values. It was adopted by the Council of the Christian Peoples Alliance in September 2001...
was authored which laid out in detail the party's values and policies. It was at Canning Town in 2002 that Alan Craig
Alan Craig
Alexander Alan Craig is the leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance party and a former councillor in the London Borough of Newham for Canning Town South....
became the first ever Christian Democrat elected in Britain, as member of the local council. The party voiced its opposition to the prospect of the Iraq War, deeming it "illegal, unwise and immoral" — a position which they have stood by. After the London mayoral election, 2004
London mayoral election, 2004
The 2004 election to the post of Mayor of London took place on 10 June 2004. It was being held on the same day as other local elections and the UK part of the 2004 European Parliament elections, so Londoners had a total of five votes on three ballot papers. Polling opened at 07:00 local time, and...
, Gidoomal stepped down as party leader to be succeeded by Cllr Alan Craig. The party stood members for the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
with little success, yet a "blind candidating" contest run by BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
programme placed the party manifesto commitments second. The party had more success in 2006, gaining two more council seats in Canning Town. The following year the party made way into Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, getting two members elected at parish council level for Aston-cum-Aughton
Aston cum Aughton
Aston cum Aughton is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 13,961 according to the 2001 census....
in Rotherham
Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham
The Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. It is named for its largest town, Rotherham, but also spans the outlying towns of Maltby, Rawmarsh, Swinton, Wath-upon-Dearne, as well as a suburban and rural element composed of hills, escarpments and...
.
The same year it also gained encouragement from Scottish Catholic bishops Keith O'Brien
Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien
Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien is a Scottish Cardinal and the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh of the Roman Catholic Church. O'Brien is currently the only living Cardinal from Scotland....
and Philip Tartaglia
Philip Tartaglia
The Right Reverend Philip Tartaglia is the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley, Scotland. He has been described as a conservative in religious and moral issues.-Early life:...
for its social stances, including marriage, rights for unborn children and supporting the Church in the adoption debate. The party also defended Anglican bishop Michael Nazir-Ali
Michael Nazir-Ali
Michael James Nazir-Ali was the 106th Bishop of Rochester in the Church of England: he retired in September 2009, taking up a position as director of the Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue...
after comments made in the media. The CPA campaigned against the building of Abbey Mills "mega mosque
Abbey Mills Mosque
The Abbey Mills Mosque, also known as the London Markaz or Masjid-e-Ilyas, is a mosque located in Stratford, east London. It had been proposed to expand it to a larger Islamic centre . It was originally reported that the structure, had it been built, would have been the largest religious building...
" in West Ham, planned by an alleged radical sect, the party stated it was an "unwanted landmark" and would undermine community cohesion. More than 255,000 British people supported the stance in a petition on the Downing Street
Downing Street
Downing Street in London, England has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an...
website. As part of a party pact with the Christian Party, Craig stood for the London mayoral election, 2008
London mayoral election, 2008
The London mayoral election, 2008 for the office of Mayor of London was held on 1 May 2008 and was won by Conservative Party candidate Boris Johnson....
as The Christian Choice, gaining almost 3% of the vote. This was followed up with 249,493 votes at the European Parliament election 2009
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
, 1.6% of the total.
Policies and stances
The founding MCD principles, adopted in 1991 as the Westminster Declaration were then adopted by Christian Peoples Alliance council in September 2001 as the Mayflower DeclarationMayflower Declaration
The Mayflower Declaration is a statement of political philosophy designed to be compatible with mainstream Christian beliefs and values. It was adopted by the Council of the Christian Peoples Alliance in September 2001...
(after the Mayflower Family Centre in London's Canning Town). The use of the term "Mayflower Declaration" as a statement of the CPA's Principles must be regarded a controversial because the Mayflower Family Centre (of which, at the time of the declaration Alan Craig was Director)was a Community Centre registered with the Charity Commissioners. As such it was required to conform to Charity Commission rules, which preclude party political bias or association.
All the policies of the CPA are linked to these policies and are summarised as:
- Recognition of ChristChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
's sovereignty (supreme authority) over the nations and in politics. - Respect of [the Judeo-Christian]-GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
's law as the basis for constitutional government and a stable society. - ReconciliationReconciliation (theology)Reconciliation, a theological term, is an element of salvation that refers to the results of atonement. Reconciliation as a theological concept describes the end of the estrangement, caused by sin, between God and humanity. John Calvin describes reconciliation as the peace between humanity and...
among nations, races, religions, classes, gender and communities [with god] - Respect for human life given by the God of the Bible.
- Social JusticeSocial justiceSocial justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
to address wrongs and provide restitution to the wronged. - Peacemaking, by addressing the causes of wars.
- Open, transparent government, which subjects itself to debate and critique.
Economic policy
Christian democracy is sometimes described as to the left economically, however it is social, not "socialist". The Christian Peoples Alliance rejects class struggleClass struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
doctrine and supports a mixed market economy
Mixed economy
Mixed economy is an economic system in which both the state and private sector direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Most mixed economies can be described as market economies with strong regulatory oversight, in addition to having a variety...
, with an emphasis on the community, social solidarity, support for social welfare provision and some regulation
Regulatory economics
Regulatory economics is the economics of regulation, in the sense of the application of law by government that is used for various purposes, such as centrally-planning an economy, remedying market failure, enriching well-connected firms, or benefiting politicians...
of market forces. The central theme being social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, responsible charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
and an emphasis on "people before profit". Within the Mayflower Declaration the party sets out as goals and desires; providing resources to discourage economic dependency and promote gainful employment. A holistic approach to care, which moves beyond mere financial assistance, as well as help for those in danger of being pushed to the margins of society, like the homeless and disabled.
Internal organisation
The party has campaigned on a wide range of issues, winning success in 2000 when it organised a petition against government plans to require Asian visitors to the UK to place a £10,000 'bond' before seeing relatives. In 2000 and 2004 in London it put inner-city regeneration and fighting discrimination as its top policy priorities. Its policies to cut energy-use and road congestion through a motorway coach-networkCoachway
A Coachway interchange is a stopping place for express coach services situated close to the trunk road/motorway road network which relies on local transport modes available to complete individual journeys...
won acceptance at government level. Its policies in support of marriage and church schools have become popular currency among secular parties.
The CPA has also taken a firm stand against the reclassification of cannabis, in favour of linking Christianity to the European Union constitution, building more church schools and supporting traditional Christian morality. He also has led campaigns backing the UNISON steward at Newham Council who faced disciplinary action; against plans to build London's large casino in Newham, against the Excel Arms Fair; against what he claims are Labour's plans to move local families out of Canning Town in support of yuppie housing. In fact this is a regeneration scheme and any families who move have been guaranteed a right to return by Labour Newham Council. Ironically though, last year, and before the recent reported fall in property prices,Craig himself sold a property close to the regeneration area and moved to Forest Gate.
He has also campaigned against proposals to demolish parts of Queen Street Market in favour of "non-invasive refurbishment" environment. Since its inception, the CPA has fought local authority elections at parish, borough, city and county level in London, Glasgow, Sheffield, Leeds, Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Gloucester, Northampton and Suffolk.
Representation
The party have yet to win a seat as a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, however they have won some local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
council elections.
| Councillor | Seat | Served |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Craig Alan Craig Alexander Alan Craig is the leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance party and a former councillor in the London Borough of Newham for Canning Town South.... |
Newham London Borough Council Newham London Borough Council Newham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of... |
2002—2010 |
| Simeon Ademolake | Newham London Borough Council Newham London Borough Council Newham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of... |
2006—2010 |
| Denise Stafford | Newham London Borough Council Newham London Borough Council Newham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of... |
2006—2010 |
| Paul Martin | Aston-cum-Aughton Aston cum Aughton Aston cum Aughton is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 13,961 according to the 2001 census.... Parish Council |
2007—2009 |
| David Gee | Aston-cum-Aughton PC | 2007—2009 |
See also
|
Jubilee Centre The Jubilee Centre is a Christian social reform think tank based in the United Kingdom which conducts research into the contemporary relevance of the biblical vision for society.- About the Jubilee Centre :... ProLife Alliance ProLife Alliance is an advocacy group in the United Kingdom, formed in October 1996. It is opposed to human cloning and abortion, opposes experiments on human embryos and also opposes any form of euthanasia. It supports anti-abortion taxation policies and guaranteed maternity and paternity leave... |