BY Ian Dunn | January 3 | 3 COMMENTS print
Christian party seeks Holyrood candidates
The Christian Peoples Alliance party in Scotland is looking for Christian activists to stand as candidates in this May’s Scottish Parliament elections.
The party ran cross-denominational candidates across Scotland in the last parliamentary elections in 2007, when it received backing from Bishop Devine of Motherwell and Bishop Tartaglia of Paisley.
Rob Smith is the new national co-ordinator for CPA in Scotland and says the contribution of Christians is vital to the future of Scotland.
“As Christian Democrats, we believe political pluralism is fundamental to the character of Scottish political and public life. So, to the challenge posed by Pope Benedict of how to answer ‘aggressive secularism,’ we urge Scottish Christians to get organised and seek an electoral mandate for Christian teaching,” he said.
“The Christian Peoples Alliance also exists to offer a democratic voice in Holyrood that will call the Scottish Parliament back to its historic roots in the Christian faith. We seek candidates and votes for that vision, who understand the times in which we live and how to answer the drive to secularise Scottish politics by winning votes.”
Mr Smith, a former tax collector, said he was standing as a list candidate for Mid Scotland and Fife in May to challenge secularisms creeping dominance of Scottish life.
“I want to stand up against creeping secularism and help Christians marginalised for their beliefs. I have ‘university of life’ experience and dislike the present law student/ political bag carrier/researcher approach of professional politicians,” he said. “Some will argue for being salt and light within the main parties but my view is that when money, power and position are offered, Christian principles are often dropped. We can challenge this.”
The Christian Peoples Alliance is asking Scottish Christians to consider supporting the party in various ways like prayer, financial support, standing on a regional list, visiting Church leaders and meetings and serving on a Scottish committee.
To find out more visit the Christian People’s Alliance website at http://www.cpaparty.org.uk.
My understanding is that the CPA gave an undertaking both verbally and in writing that they would stand down in the next Scottiah election to give the SCP a free run.
So much for their promises!
Shame on them.
As National Co-ordinator CPA for Scotland I can totally refute what Alexander has said and say that we are definitely not standing down and made no such promises . I have e-mailed the SCP leader Donald Boyd twice over our respective parties not standing in the same Regional Lists but with no response .
I therefore invite Catholic friends and others to contact me if they wish to be considered to stand on lists and I can easily meet them .
I hope that Alexander has not deliberately tried to undermine CPA as the media would love to find Christians being untruthful .
No unlike some in CPA Alex Lennox is a man of his word
and I stand by every word that I said.
1, the new leadership of the CPA did promise in writing, and orally, that they would not stand in Scotland at the next election.
And I resent the implication that I am telling lies.