May 7th - Why I won't be voting Conservative!

When I was in full-time pastoral ministry, and any election came about, I always encouraged my congregation to exercise their votes - but would never even hint at, let alone make, any suggestion as to which Party anyone ought to support.

However, as I am no longer in such a ministry, and as this is my personal blog, I am going to share where my own support is going to be on May 7th - if regular visitors to this blog haven't already worked that out!  Of course, I am doing so as a disciple of Jesus - believing that my chosen Party is the one that is closest to upholding the Judaeo/Christian heritage of this country.

Permit me, first of all, to explain why I am not going to vote for certain other Parties.  Not wanting this post to become as long as the average Party Election Manifesto, I'll deal with each of the traditional Parties over the next few posts.  We begin with the one that I believe will be the largest single Party in the new Parliament – but without the overall majority to form, on its own, a Government.

The Conservative (CONmerchant) Party.  This is the Party that introduced the legislation that led to the redefinition of marriage - in spite of the clear opposition in the country, and the fact that such a policy had not even been mentioned in their last manifesto!  However, the subject is mentioned in the current manifesto: "Our historic introduction of gay marriage has helped drive forward equality and strengthened the institution of marriage. But there is still more to do, and we will continue to champion equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people. We will build on the posthumous pardon of ... Alan Turing ... with a broader measure to lift the blight of outdated convictions of this nature" (p46).  So this is a Party that continues to champion the dismantling of traditional marriage and, at the same time, of the basic unit of society - the family.  

The current leader is also on record as saying, effectively, that there are too many white Christian faces in the UK; that he hopes to see a Muslim in 10 Downing Street; and that the British people should be adopting the Islamic culture and values!

Let us recall just some of Mr. Cameron's past comments - and his actions (or lack thereof!). 

• Shortly after taking office, Mr Cameron declared that the new Government would underline its commitment to the Armed Forces by putting it into law a new covenant - given legal force in a new Armed Services Bill - which would include rights to prioritised NHS treatment, decent housing and education for Service families’ children.

• Reality:  Thousands of ex-servicemen, and women, are living on the streets, unable to find housing.  More money spent on upgrading MoD offices than on assisting military veterans return to civilian life.  Of course, this doesn't deal with the steady cut-back in the UK Armed Services that has gone on under the Coalition Government - led by the Conservatives.

• Before the last General Election, Mr Cameron gave his (in)famous "cast-iron guarantee" to deliver a referendum on the Lisbon treaty during the lifetime of the ensuing Parliament.

•  Reality:   He actually 'whipped' (nothing physical!) his MPs to prevent private members' attempts to legislate for a referendum in that Parliament.

• Mr Cameron assured the electorate that the massive figure of net immigration would be brought down to "tens of thousands" each year.

• Reality:  Latest figures indicate that around 500,000 immigrants entered the UK in 2014 alone.  This included Romanian and Bulgarian Roma criminals - a convicted Latvian murderer as the chief suspect in the murder of a little English girl being amongst the most recent highlights.  This, of course, is because the UK Border Agency is simply "not fit for purpose".   We certainly travel, frequently, to and from France, with sometimes not even being stopped, let alone have our passports and luggage checked!

• The stated aim of the Coalition Government (senior partners, the Conservatives) was to deal with the economic deficit left by the previous Labour administration.  

• Reality:  The national debt has increased from £0.8 trillion to more than £1.4 trillion - almost double what was 'inherited'!   

I could go on - Welfare Reform that isn't; a promise to hold a National Referendum on the UK's continuing membership of the EU - in 2017 (by which time, he knows, we will not be permitted to hold one without the prior agreement of the other countries in that despicable organisation); the power of recall that would allow the electorate in a constituency to, effectively, sack their MP if sufficient of them believed that (s)he was not representing them properly - but that ended up depending on the support of the 'offending' member's parliamentary colleagues! However, that should be sufficient to enable anyone to understand why the Conservative Party is not, in my opinion, worthy of my support.

This is the PM who told us, at the beginning of the last Parliament: "Judge me on my record!"  That, Mr Cameron, is exactly what I intend to do!