Updated Dec 3 Election Briefing 2019 AN ANALYSIS OF PARTY POLICIES ON ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO CHRISTIANS ELECTION 2019 christian.org.uk/election Contents 3 Introduction 8 Conservatives 14 Labour 19 Scottish National Party 22 Liberal Democrats 25 The Independent Group for Change 26 Plaid Cymru | Party of Wales 28 Green Party 30 Brexit Party 31 The Christian Party 32 Christian Peoples Alliance 33 More information about legislation and public policy 42 References Key resources Voting records of MPs Candidate QuestionCards See christian.org.uk/election – these Download at christian.org.uk/election cover a specific range of moral issues – the questions help Christians find and there may well be other matters out the views of their candidates. You you want to think about. Our voting can also get copies from our office on records database only applies to MPs request – 0191 281 5664. from the Parliament just dissolved. Some MPs are standing down.1 This Election Briefing Obviously you will want to ask the Further copies can be downloaded at views of the other candidates in your christian.org.uk/election or ordered by constituency. calling our office – 0191 281 5664. All information in this briefing is correct at time of publication | Copyright © The Christian Institute 2019 | Published by The Christian Institute, Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 8DG | All rights reserved | No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of The Christian Institute. Introduction ELECTION 2019 to restrain evil and promote what is good (Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2). This benefits all As Christian citizens we should think people in this world, not just Christians. carefully about how we vote in the General As a general rule Christians follow Jesus’ Election on 12 December 2019. command to: “Render therefore unto Caesar The Christian Institute is a registered the things which are Caesar’s” (Matthew charity and we cannot tell you how to vote. 22:21, KJV).2 Christians are citizens of What we can do in this briefing is address: heaven (Philippians 3:20) and also of an earthly nation (usually where we are born). ĥ why should you vote? The Christian’s duty is to obey the governing ĥ biblical priorities authorities. The exception is where they ĥ Brexit forbid what God requires, or require what ĥ issues on the horizon God forbids (Acts 5:29). It is our earnest prayer that Christians ĥ two key factors in voting will have freedom to share the Gospel and ĥ speaking to candidates live out the Christian life (1 Timothy 2:1-4). ĥ party policies on key issues In praying “deliver us from evil” (Matthew ĥ background information on legislation 6:13) we are praying against the persecution and public policy. of the Church as well as against personal temptation. Our analysis of party policies covers many issues where important Christian Common grace and the principles are at stake. They tend to be privilege of voting issues where biblical standards, particularly Romans 13 makes clear that God has the Ten Commandments, directly apply. In ordained the governing authorities in every modern Britain they can be among the most country whether rulers are Christian or not. controversial subjects, yet in our view the Thanks to God’s common grace, there are Bible is perfectly clear about them. many non-Christians who take the right We cannot be exhaustive. There will view on a range of issues. Nobody’s thinking be other areas of concern where much is wrong at every point. Politicians who material is available or where there is honest disagree with Christians about redefining disagreement among Christians holding marriage can still be strongly against assisted to the Bible as their authority, such as the suicide or liberalising cannabis laws. Some environment. atheists will strongly defend the free speech of Christians. The Christian Institute can WHY SHOULD YOU VOTE? testify that there are men and women of integrity in parties across the political The state is a means of God’s ‘common spectrum. grace’. The Bible is very clear that the Like the prophet Daniel, God’s people governing authorities act on God’s behalf must encourage leadership which promotes 3 truth and righteousness, such as when he that we mainly focus on in this briefing – said to King Nebuchadnezzar: “Therefore, straightforward matters of right or wrong. O king, be pleased to accept my advice: For a very large proportion of political Renounce your sins by doing what is right, issues, making a Christian judgement and your wickedness by being kind to the depends on the wise assessment of oppressed” (Daniel 4:27). several biblical principles. This can result in Unlike Daniel, Christians in the UK today Christians arriving at different conclusions. get to play a part in electing their leaders. In For example, we know that the state our democracy we all have the legal right to has a right to levy taxes (Romans 13:7). vote. Billions of people around the world do But Christians who hold to biblical truth not enjoy the same freedoms we have in the can legitimately disagree on the level of UK. We elect Members of Parliament and so, individual taxes. ultimately, the Government. We help choose ‘Caesar’. So voting is a privilege and a serious BREXIT responsibility.3 The General Election provides an A proper understanding of Britain’s opportunity for Christians to speak out and membership of the EU has always involved play their part by voting. Governments can questions of nationhood and sovereignty, make it easier or harder to live freely as a economics and trade, democracy and Christian or to share the Gospel. Believers accountability, defence and international have to make a judgement about how their relations, as well as the implications for vote can be used to best effect. Christian freedom. As a registered charity, the Institute BIBLICAL PRIORITIES did not tell Christians how to vote in the 2016 EU referendum. But we did encourage When it comes to matters of public policy, Christians across the UK to prayerfully Christians have to assess biblical priorities. consider their view and to cast their vote. We can distinguish those political issues on There were biblical Christians on both sides. which the Bible is absolutely clear from those The referendum saw a majority vote to on which it is not. leave the EU and the ‘Article 50’ process For instance, the Bible is not clear on began in March 2017. The issue of Brexit how to improve access to GPs or the most has dominated our political landscape appropriate level of university tuition fees. since. Constitutionally extraordinary – even To decide on these issues involves a detailed unprecedented – events have taken place. assessment of the facts and the exercise Other issues have not received the level of of judgement based on experience. Many scrutiny that would be expected in normal situations we encounter in ordinary life are at circumstances, including the imposition of this level, and so are many political issues. abortion and same-sex marriage on Northern But at the other end of the spectrum Ireland. Irrespective of views on Brexit, the the Bible is “clear, direct, and decisive”4 lack of a resolution since the referendum has about a whole host of political issues. For resulted in damaging instability. We pray this example, a vote for abortion or euthanasia will come to an end as soon as possible. is a vote to break the sixth Commandment We encouraged Christians in 2017 (Exodus 20:13). These are the kinds of issues to remember that, although the General 4 Election had been dubbed ‘the Brexit Yet here in the UK religious liberty election’, the chosen MPs could pass laws is being increasingly challenged. Street affecting every area of life. Parliament preachers have been arrested. Christians has since considered issues including have lost their jobs for answering questions abortion, same-sex marriage, heterosexual about their faith or for taking an ethical civil partnerships, relationships and sex stand. Christians in business have come into education, assisted suicide, no-fault divorce, conflict with equality laws and faced fines pornography, gambling, cannabis and for holding to the belief that marriage is Christian persecution overseas. While Brexit between a man and a woman. is an important issue that may well dominate Many Christians are also gravely this election, Christians must consider other concerned about legislative proposals that matters as well. intrude into ordinary family life, evangelism and the running of the local church. ISSUES ON THE HORIZON Christians believe that governing authorities are established by God, but at the same The new Parliament elected on 12 December time the Government is not responsible for 2019 could vote on laws affecting religious everything. Indeed, if there is to be freedom, liberty, freedom of speech, transgender it must not be. rights, abortion, assisted suicide, divorce It is important to say that society is more liberalisation, drugs legalisation and than the state. Society is made up of families gambling. More information about legislation and many institutions and organisations and public policy on these and other issues is between the state and the citizen. In the given from page 33 onwards. UK, unlike Communist countries, we do not These are all issues of concern to equate society with the State. Government Christians. Some are ‘conscience votes’ by itself cannot solve all our problems or where MPs are free to vote without a party even come remotely close.