While we set out to contact our local candidates in the run up to this year’s general election, the Christian Peoples Alliance went one step further and sent us some responses from their leader, Sidney Cordle.
What’s your view of the UK as part of the outside world? Do you think that we’re best off in the EU and if so why?
In our view the European Union is not working effectively. There is
- a complete lack of democracy. It is only the commission that can initiate any changes. The Council of Ministers and the European Parliament can only agree or disagree with the Commission.
- There is massive corruption so that the EU budget has not been accepted by auditors and billions of pounds r euros goes missing every year. Massive fraud like MTIC fraud has been going on for at least 15 years unchecked.
- Many decisions have been taken in Europe that are very bad for the UK, e.g. the disaster for our fishing industry. Prior to joining the EU the UK had 80% of the EU fish stocks. It now has less than 33% as Spanish trawlers fish right up to our shores. If we left the EU we could under international law impose a 200 mile fishing limit or half way between the nearest country.
WE also know that the British people have been lied to over the EU many times. For these reasons we would now support leaving the EU unless these issues can be resolved. WE don’t need to be in the EY to be part of the global trading network managed by GATT the General Agreement on Tarrifs and trade. How the process of leaving the EU is managed is very important and we made detailed proposals on the in our European manifesto which is on our website. We do not believe the process can be left to UKIP.
A lot of our towns are so polluted due to exhaust fumes and various other sources that it’s at times nauseating. What would your party do to remedy this?
We are in complete support of the plans of the Clean Air Society through whom enormous progress has already been made and is still being made.
Did you go to university? If so, did you have to pay tuition fees and did you receive a grant? What’s your view on charging tuition fees as they are currently?
Yes. I did pay my own tuition fees for a second degree. We believe that Universities should be related as closely as possible to the world of work and get their income from business and from government so that tuition fees are not needed. However we want to maintain and increase student numbers so that a transition from the current system to a system of free University education will have to be handled carefully.
A lot of younger voters often feel patronised or overlooked completely, which of your parties policies do you feel benefit young people and why?
The breakdown of marriage is costing the country £47bn per year according to Government figures. We propose a grant of £10,000 per couple on the occasion of a first marriage provided 3 sessions of marriage training have been completed. Also £5,000 on the occasion of the birth of the first child if born within wedlock provided 3 sessions of training in child rearing have been completed. The training would be available to all couples free of charge. WE anticipate thereby to change the whole culture of society so that it would be foolish not to get married have training and take advantage of the grants. This will cause much more stability in homes to the benefit of young people who over the last 50 years have faced more and more family break up. No other party has policies to face these issues. We also want to see tuition fees phased out. Continued and increased help for young people to get jobs and an increase in the minimum wage to 8 pounds an hour as soon as possible. WE would just add that the Green policy of nationalisisng everything and closing London City Airport and chasing bankers out of London would destroy so many jobs young people would probably have to leave the country in large numbers to stand any chance of a job.
It’s been an issue in recent years that venues have been shut down because people have moved to new homes near existing venues, been nuisanced by something which has been there far longer than they have, and got the licensed removed. A lot of people feel strongly about this; a petition calling for more safeguarding to be put in place was launched last year has been signed by many, yet the response was overwhelmingly negative. This is an important issue to us as the closing of venues, be it for this reason or because the Crossrail is engulfing large parts of London, is ruining our arts and culture. It’s taking away a place where talent is nurtured and if this pattern continues new, interesting, acts will cease to exist. Would you do anything to help reverse this problem?
The whole planning process has to be handled with a large amount of consultation and completely fairly and impartially. Everyone’s views have to be considered. We are opposed to HS2 but want to see a new London airport preferably in the Thames Estuary as proposed by Boris Johnson.
Prime Ministers questions have made a mockery of the political system in recent years, like watching an amateur rap battle – how would you work to change this to make it a useful debate rather than just throwing insults back and forth and avoiding answering questions?
I love Prime Ministers Questions and so do TV viewers and newspaper reporters. If it was as bad as you suggest why do so many people watch it and why is it so widely reported in newspapers?
A minimum turnout for strike ballots has been proposed recently – do you think this is fair? If we need a minimum turnout for a strike should we not also have minimum turnouts for all elections and referendums?
I see no reason why we need further legislation in this area. There is enough already. If a strike is not supported then employees can and do vote with their feet and defy it. Such people already have the protection of the law. They don’t need more protection.
House prices are still rising yet salaries generally aren’t – young professionals can only dream about home ownership while giving money every month to landlords – do you think anything should be done about this? What would you propose?
There are already good housing schemes in place to help first time buyers and to get young people into the housing ladder. Schemes that have caused a housing bubble should be phased out. Please look into the schemes and comment on them rather than asking a question which would appear to indicate you don’t know about them.
Ed – this question was to find out about the politician’s/party’s proposed schemes/ideas, not what is already in place.
The NHS appears to be struggling these days and is most likely underfunded – how would you go about resolving the issues the NHS faces or do you believe we’d be better off moving to a system based around private medical insurance?
WE totally support the principle of the NHS. Massive amounts of money have been poured into it and it is ring fenced. The focus has to be on efficiency and we have proposals on this in our manifesto.
What’s your opinion on tax money being used to fund arts?
Yes
Do you think that it’s right to subsidise more efficient and less pollutant cars?
Yes
Some have suggested that after a certain age driving tests should have to be repeated frequently to ensure no deterioration in ability – is this something you think should happen?
Only after age 70
What is your view on renewable energy? Should we push for more renewable sources? What is your view of nuclear energy?
Yes renewable energy is very important. Nuclear energy is very clean but we have to consider the total picture including decommissioning and price that in.
Did your parents buy you a car when you were in your teens or early twenties?
No
Did you have a part time job during A-levels and/or Uni?
Yes
Have you ever held a minimum wage job before going into politics?
I worked in a Shoe shop and alter Marks and Spencer
Outside of politics, what do you do?
Financial Adviser
For people who are reluctant to vote, for whatever reason, why should they take part in the General Election?
It is a tribute to our nation that people don’t need to worry about our Government. If they lived in Ukraine they can’t ignore politics. So for many other countries but its vital young people think about what is really on offer. Eg. the Greens proposal to legalise Islamic State means we could have IS training camps in this country and it would be legal to sell them arms. Young people need to think about what this means not just respond to a nice idea (a greener planet). The Greens in our view are by far the most dangerous option on view.
Ed – The Greens suggested that it shouldn’t be illegal to be a member of such organisations but made it clear violent and illegal acts would still be illegal so the idea that there would be training camps permitted is questionable at best.
Why should they vote for you?
We alone have policies to cope with the breakdown of marriage and families. We alone have policies that respect life from conception to natural death. We have a full understanding of how wealth is created and the importance of maintaining it while at the same time having a strong commitment to help the poor. We alone understand the problems with the EU and the advantages of leaving while at the same time are able to provide a true non racist alternative that will leave Britain at the heart of a Global trading world.
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