SCP to field candidate in General Election

The Scottish Christian Party is hoping to field a candidate in the forthcoming general election and a contest is to held in the early new year to select a candidate.

murdomurray small A £30,000 campaign war chest has been promised to the Scottish Christian Party (SCP) candidate fighting the Western Isles constituency in the forthcoming general election. The party’s political candidate will be chosen in February after a US-style Open Primary contest open to all islanders.

This is thought to be just the second time the American system of allow all voters in an area to select a prospective candidate for an election in the UK. The first was in August when the Sarah Wollaston was picked to fight the Totnes seat for the 2010 general election for the Conservatives.

The candidate selection will be conducted by a secure internet vote and via a computerised telephone poll. The primary will be organised and controlled by the Electoral Reform Service though its £30,000 cost will be borne by the party.

Voting in the Primary will be between Thursday 21 January and Thursday 11 February 2010.

Christian Party leader Rev. George Hargreaves who stood in the Western Isles as a SCP candidate for the Western Isles at the last general election pledged the campaign cash saying: “We are in it to win it. “Whoever wins the prize will be well resourced.”

“The £30,000 campaign fund is the maximum allowed under the law and we are spending a similar amount on the Primary."

The successful candidate will have a rented campaign office at his disposal in a prime spot in Cromwell Street in Stornoway town centre. The party plans to fight the SNP after blaming the Nationalists for launching a controversial Sabbath ferry into Lewis this summer while Sabbath trading is another issue troubling the party. Rev. Hargreaves has stated:

“In 2010 and 2011 the Scottish Christian Party shall run election campaigns based on building on the strengths of the Western Isles, not destroying them. We intend to see the people of the Western Isles united behind it uniqueness, not divided by its diversity.”

Mr. Hargreaves also believes that the Calman report could benefit the Scottish islands. He said that the 10 pence (income) tax should be used to advantage for the Western Isles and peripheral islands to attract new business and attract population to the islands

The presence of the Scottish Christian Party in the Western Isles election fight could well upset the two-horse race between the SNP and Labour. It will also impact on any opportunity or desire that there might be for a local Christian to stand as an independent.

In the 2007 elections for the Scottish Parliament Mr. Murdo Murray, a former Technical Director with Western Isles Council stood as a List Candidate for the SCP.

Mr. Murray participated in a recent on-line discussion regarding the Sunday sailing issue and the wider subject of Christian representation in the political process.

In the course of the discussion Christians Together interviewed Mr. Murray on a range of issues affecting the Western Isles. It is understood that Mr. Murray was not present at a recent public meeting in Stornoway hosted by Rev. Hargreaves.

Christians Together, 24/12/2009

Feedback:

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	John Parker (Guest)	09/01/2010 22:59
So, are you saying that sanctification for the Christian/Christian party is a myth? Sanctification is not a theological concept that you can apply to a political party; and even when applied to an individual is a lifelong process. God does not sanctify polical parties (or any other organisations up to and including Christian denominations). "So, does that mean that God's moral laws count for nothing?" Not at all. But the vast majority of the electorate are not prepared (at this point in time it would seem) to live under Christ's headship. I repeat (as a closing comment) the matter of logic and not theology.
	Peter Carr	10/01/2010 09:02
"Sanctification is not a theological concept that you can apply to a political party; and even when applied to an individual is a lifelong process. God does not sanctify polical parties (or any other organisations up to and including Christian denominations)." I suggest that it does where SCP are concerned, for they are (or should be) made up of 'living stones'. Sanctification applies to all Christians, for we are church 24/7 no matter what or where we are! (My closing comment also).
	Peter Carr	12/01/2010 17:49
Do we know if SCP are confining their efforts only to this one seat for the general election, or are they fielding other candidates in other seats in Scotland?
	Rosemary Cameron	12/01/2010 21:45
They are contesting 120 seats across the UK according to their main website (i.e. the CP website). No indication of how many in Scotland and the SCP website is still 'under construction'. Given that the main CP website has been revamped recently and is up to date one wonders when the same level of attention will be gioven to the Scottish site.
	Peter Carr	13/01/2010 08:15
Thanks Rosemary. A further question; Who puts up the deposit? Is it each candidate, the CP, the SCP or CP (Scotland)?
	Rosemary Cameron	13/01/2010 21:59
The party put up the deposit when I stood in the 2007 election.
	Peter Carr	14/01/2010 11:14
Wow! How much is a deposit these days?
	Rosemary Cameron	14/01/2010 21:21
£500. You lose it if you don't get at least 5% of the vote.
	Peter Carr	15/01/2010 08:41
Double wow! That's a lot of potential lost deposits, maybe as much as £60000, and that's not including previous lost deposits by SCP, and CP! And then on top of that there are the campaign costs!!
	Alec (Guest)	18/01/2010 14:43
Peter Democracy would appear to be a pretty expensive business! I was once told that the idea behind the deposits was to stop loads of fringe parties jumping in who werent serious about it. Mind you Screaming Lord Sutch managed quite well. Remember his Monster Raving Loonies beat the SDP in a Bootle bye-election..... there was a serious side to that - it finished off the Owenite SDP.

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