The Christian Party (also known as the Scottish Christian Party[1] and Welsh Christian Party (Welsh: Plaid Gristnogol))[2] is a minor Christian political party in Great Britain.
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 partyedit
The party was registered by the Electoral Commission on 29 April 2004, with the name "Christian Party 'Proclaiming Christ's Lordship!'".[2]
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 six 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 six 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 Jeff Green.[2]
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 party's mission statement is "Christians working together to bring Christian concern, goodwill and action into the community, education, business and politics."[13]
The party's website includes a statement of its policies[14] which include the following:
Reform the benefit system to remove the risk associated with leaving the welfare system and entering work. This would be accomplished by suspending benefit claims for a period of 9 months rather than closing them when an unemployed person gains employment. Within the 9-month period an unemployed person will be able to audit three jobs before their claim is liable to closure.
Negotiated agreement with the European Union to apply the immigration points system to migrants from the European Union, or in the event of non-agreement the declaration of a unilateral change in immigration policy
Make private health insurance a visa requirement for immigrants
Initiate a "No (private sector) Home – No Visa" policy
^"Scottish Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship"".
^ abc"Registration summary - Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship"". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
^"King William the Lion, Robbie the Pict and Noggin the Nog". West Highland Free Press. 8 March 2007. Archived from the original on 8 March 2007.
^"2004 Election candidates". UK Office of the European Parliament. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
^Bond, Paul (18 January 2005). "Christian right forces attack "blasphemous" British television comedy". World Socialist Web Site.
^Electoral Commission press release, "Electoral Commission fines the Christian Party Proclaiming Christs Lordship treasurer and Ashfield and Mansfield Liberal Democrats" Archived 2 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 14 June 2012
^Electoral Commission press release, "Electoral Commission fines former treasurer of the Christian Party Proclaiming Christs Lordship"[permanent dead link], 14 February 2013
^Rebecca Smithers, "Christian party advert draws more than 1,000 complaints", The Guardian, 11 March 2009
^"Christian Party candidates general election 8th June 2017". The Christian Party. Retrieved 11 June 2017. "Election 2017: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey". BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2017. "Election 2017: Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles)". BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2017.