Christian Peoples Alliance
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The Christian Peoples Alliance is a minor political party operating in the United Kingdom. They emerged from the non-party based Movement for Christian Democracy and adopted the founding principles (the 1991 Westminster Declaration) of that organisation. (See Mayflower Declaration)
The CPA describes its platform as being based on seeking:
- Recognition of Christ's sovereignty over the nations and in politics.
- Respect of God's law as the basis for constitutional government and a stable society.
- Reconciliation among nations, races, religions, classes, gender and communities.
- Respect for human life given by God.
- Social Justice to address wrongs and provide restitution to the wronged.
- Careful economic stewardship of God's creation.
- Commitment to the fairness of markets and patterns of exchange.
- Peacemaking, by addressing the causes of wars.
- Open, transparent government, which subjects itself to debate and critique.
Alan Craig, a Newham borough councillor who took over the leadership role when Ram Gidoomal stepped down, was re-elected to serve the Canning Town South ward on 4 May 2006. At that election, two other party members - Simeon Ademolake and Denise Stafford - were elected to serve as Canning Town South's other two councillors.
The party leader is now Michael Elmer.
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Their main area of activity is London, where they stood seven candidates in the general election of 2005. They also stood in two seats in Northampton. Ram Gidoomal was the party's candidate in the London mayoral election, 2000 and 2004. In the Preston by-election, 2000, a candidate used the description "Preston Christian Alliance", and was aligned to the Christian People's Alliance party.
In 2005 they contested nine seats and received around 3,500 votes in total at the General Election. According to accounts filed for the year 2005 with the Electoral Commission, the party had 426 members at year-end, compared to 415 at the previous year end. Total net assets for 2005 were £10,389 (source.
The party has been accused of adopting an 'anti-gay' platform, due to policies such as opposition to allowing same sex couples to adopt in Scotland. This stance has caused disquiet in some quarters and has had detrimental effects at a personal level for those involoved with the CPA. For example Ram Gidoomal, the CPA's London mayoral candidate in 2003-4, was recently appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees at the British Refugee Council. Ram was quickly forced to resign when details of the CPA, his candidacy and the CPA's stance became known amongst Refugee Council staff and others in the refugee/asylum sector[citation needed].
The Christian Peoples Alliance is a member of the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM).
