General Election, 2019

Well with only a couple of days to go, I've decided that it is time for me to throw in my tuppence-worth on Thursday's General Election. At this stage of the campaign, I reckon that most people will already have made up their minds as to which Party/Candidate they are going to support (or even if they are going to vote at all!), so I doubt that I will change anyone's mind - but the 'blurb' at the top does state that "Some of my posts stray into politics ..."!!

In the constituency in which I am entitled to vote, there are five candidates, representing (in alphabetical order) the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrat Party, the Scottish National Party, and the United Kingdom Independence Party. I am not a political guru, and insist that only the poll that will be taken on Thursday is of any importance, but given the figures from the previous GE, it would be a major upset for the SNP if their candidate failed to secure the seat. However, she will not be receiving my support! Why not?

The reasons for my refusing to back the SNP are the same as those for refusing the Labour, and Liberal Democrat, Parties. The first of these is the support of these parties for abortion. If you have been reading my blog for any reasonable length of time, you will know that I am totally opposed to the murder of a human being, in its mother's womb, for whatever reason, and by whatever nomenclature. Labour are proposing the total decriminalisation of abortion. This would mean that babies in the womb could be legally killed, for any reason, right up to the day of birth. If ever enacted, it would be the most extreme abortion law in western Europe. The Lib Dems proposal on abortion is not quite as extreme. However, they propose to completely decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks. This would mean that babies in the womb could be killed for any reason with no checks and balances. This, in turn, would legalise gender-selective abortion which must mean that Lib Dems approve of this discriminatory practice.

Where do the SNP stand on this emotive, but important, issue? Well, I read through all fifty pages of the Manifesto - but found no mention of a policy on abortion. However, the party's position was more than hinted at by the furore that followed John Mason's motion, to Holyrood, that access to abortion be restricted. He received no support from the Party!  

The Conservative manifesto does not contain extreme policy proposals on abortion as Labour and Lib Dem manifestos do. Regretfully, there are also no commitments not to further liberalise the abortion laws, and the party has shown, in the past, that it is willing to bring forward liberal policies that were not in the manifesto.

In matters concerning gender self-declaration, or no-fault divorce the Conservatives, again, have no specific policy proposals. However, as with abortion, this does not mean - recalling their 'track record' - that they would not legislate if they take power on Friday.  The other two main (UK) parties, have extreme proposals on gender self-declaration, and both propose to introduce the unilateral destruction of families through no-fault divorce. The SNP appear not to have any policy proposals on these issues, either.

You may have noticed that I have not made any reference to what has become known as "Brexit". However, I find it to be of interest that they state, in their manifesto, that "Unborn children are children. 218,581 abortions were performed in the UK in 2018. UKIP will seek to reduce the number of abortions carried out in the UK, and we will support alternative options such as adoption." This party also " rejects any moves for new laws to make gender a self-declared condition. Gender is not different to biological sex. There are two sexes – male and female – determined by anatomy and chromosomes."

So, for me, given the choice that I have, there is only one party to which I could give support. I hope that others, particularly those who claim to be disciples of Jesus, will have checked out issues such as those I have mentioned, and will prayerfully decide where they should place their X.

Of course, at the end of the day, I believe in the total sovereignty of Almighty God. The Psalmist asked: "Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?" He went on to paint a word-picture: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and His anointed, saying, 'Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision. Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury, ..." (Ps 2:1-5).

May His will be done, on Thursday, and every day, to His glory.