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Because it is highly unlikely that many readers will have heard of the Whig Party, we decided to give Alistair a little extra space to explain where he and his party is coming from. For why we think that is important, do check out Johnny's post on voting for people who won't win...
I’m convinced that Christians, with our duties to love our neighbour and honour the authorities, should vote and be involved in politics. However, over the last few years I have felt that none of the main political parties are offering a big vision for what a good society looks like. It also seems they are all giving less leeway to Christians to challenge the current groupthink on controversial moral issues.
One morning last October, when I was thinking about the upcoming 2015 election and getting rather disillusioned about having to choose the ‘least bad’ option from the main parties, I heard Waleed Ghani on the ‘Today’ programme saying he had re-established the Whig party. At first it seemed like a joke, but as he kept talking it became clear not only that he was entirely serious, but that this might well be the fresh political movement I was looking for; not something new, but rather the return of something old.
The Whigs were the first political party in Britain, appearing in around 1678 as the supporters of Parliamentary democracy. Over the next 200 years there were 16 Whig Prime Ministers. The Whigs were the progressive force in British politics and the great rivals of the Tories, who defended established interests. They championed free trade and individual liberty, abolished slavery, defended the rights of religious minorities, introduced wide-ranging social reforms and extended the vote with the Great Reform Act of 1832, before developing into the Liberal Party in the late 19th Century.
I remember studying the Whigs in school history, and thinking I would have been a Whig had I lived then.
Now I have the opportunity to be one in 2015!
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-{ How would you describe your party’s political vision in one sentence? }-
We champion equality, liberty, representative democracy, sound economics and a love of country that is open to the world and embraces the future as much as the past.
-{ What myth/accusation/misunderstanding about your party most frustrates you?
We are being treated as a fringe party, when we’re the oldest party in Britain with a very proud political heritage.
-{ Is there anything particular in your faith/Christianity that motivates you in your political work? }-
First, to quote from Abraham Kuyper, Dutch Prime Minister from 1901-1905;
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”
So I think Christians should try to bring a distinctive Biblically-influenced voice to bear on every single issue in our society, not just focus on a few narrow topics. Second, the revolutionary idea that all human beings are made in the image of God. This means that every person, no matter their status or situation, must be treated with dignity and respect from the beginning to the end of life.
-{ What is the most important area/issue this election? }-
The NHS, immigration and the economy are getting the most airtime. I’d like the conversation to be broader than that. Who knows what new challenges will come up in the next five years? People want to vote for a candidate and party whose character, judgement and values they share, not just a shopping list of policies.
-{ What policies/priorities which your party has this election do you want Christians in particular to know about? }-
We’re a socially liberal party, but have a deep commitment to freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. So we will strongly defend the rights of Christians and people of all faiths to speak about and live out their beliefs openly, even if that is unpopular or offensive to others.
-{ What other five policies/priorities which your party has this election do you want everyone to know? }-
We propose setting up an independent Royal Commission to plan how to make the NHS sustainable for the next 50 years, without constant political interference. We would abolish university tuition fees. We would give local councils more powers and devolve powers to the English regions. We believe the EU needs reform, but would strongly back continued membership in any referendum. Finally, we would introduce a New Reform Act to revitalise our democracy through allowing 16-year-olds to vote, online voting and other measures.
-{ In a sentence, why should someone vote for your party on May 7th? }-
If you’re looking for a liberal party with room for different voices including Christians, which will defend free speech and freedom of conscience, and which has an optimistic, confident and values-driven approach to the problems facing our society, vote Whig.
-{ Where can someone find out more about their local Whig candidate? }-
In this election we have candidates standing in four constituencies. If you live in Stretford and Urmston, Vauxhall, Camberwell and Peckham or Bethnal Green and Bow, you can find out more at whigs.uk, on Twitter @WhigsUK or facebook.com/whigsuk
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Alasdair Henderson is the Parliamentary Political Candidate (PPC) for the Whig Party in Bethnal Green and Bow.
When not working as a barrister he is kept busy by playing with his one-year-old daughter and serving at church.
He tweets at @BGandBWhigs
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I hope this interview on the Whig Party's policies and political vision has helped you think through your vote, perhaps particularly if you link politics to faith. Watch this blog or our social media feeds for updates over the coming weeks. In the meantime, I'd love to connect with you via Facebook, or you can find myself and Johnny on Twitter.
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