Standing as an MP

Newcastle City Centre Chaplain Glyn Evans has a bit part to play
in the forthcoming election.

I am going to stand as an ‘Independent’ candidate for the Newcastle Central constituency. It is the first time clergy have not been disqualified from standing in a general election. Why do you think it has changed? Is it because people take religion less seriously? Is it because clergy are seen to have less influence and so less able to instruct people to vote for them?

Interesting or not? Bishops mind you can’t stand as they still at the moment have places in the House of Lords but for how much longer? Someone once said ‘Half of religious jokes are Bishops!’.

There is no way of course I can win or even expect to get more than a nominal amount of votes. I will no doubt lose my deposit of £500 but you never know! What should be my policies? Well as a Christian I believe the policies should be for the Last, the Least and the Lost. I jokingly say ‘I will be the best politician money can buy’.

In Parliament of course there are Christian MP’s from all the main parties. If you check out Christians in Politics you will see that MP’s often meet to pray and work together. I have always found it interesting that in the USA, where they are a secular state, Barack Obama would never have been elected unless he was a Christian. In Bow and Bethnal Green 500 people from a certain section of the community have joined the Labour Party, why? so they can select the next candidate.

This all interests me because I am Newcastle City Centre Chaplain. I am involved in visiting places such as the Civic Centre, Eldon Square, Theatre Royal and Police station to name but a few. I see how politics influences our city. In my work I am supported by all the churches in the City Centre. I minister on their behalf with a team of Chaplains to all who work in the city. We seek to care for people where they work, hold events to debate issues which arise and then co-operate with others to make the City a more humane place to live and work.

Our last event was a Breakfast Conversation with Chi Onuwarah who is the Labour candidate taking over from Jim Cousins in Newcastle Central. Our conversation had the title ‘Can we trust you?’. We debated trust in our politicians and why we should trust them. It was great. This is one part of the work the City Centre Chaplaincy believes you should be involved in with us.

As we approach an election I believe we should be involved in who represents us and who will be making decisions on a national level. What values do they hold? All I hear from the government recently is that things must be ‘Value for Money’. Is this the best value to support? Does it help the Last, the Least and the Lost?

I hope by standing as a candidate I can bring some of our Christian values of truth, justice and honesty into the discussions. There are many other values which I believe we need to challenge people about. To rejoice with those who show the values we believe are God’s and challenge those ones we believe are not. How are you involved in challenging election candidates? Should Christians vote for a Christian Party or Politician? All in all I find it interesting and remind myself how the Labour Party for example has its roots in Methodism. Perhaps we need to reclaim those roots; perhaps we all need to stand as a candidate.

How about you? What do you think? What does God think? Keep thinking!