Inverness candidate for Westminster

Dr Donald Boyd

Prospective parliamentary candidate for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey UK Parliamentary constituency in the General Election on Thursday 6th May 2010.

Donald Boyd's election interview - read more at the Christians Together website.

Donald has lived in Inverness and its environs since 1980 and has been acquainted with the Highlands from his childhood.

He is a medical doctor and, although he is a GP, his face may be more familiar to you from Raigmore Hospital where he has mainly worked since 2000, or from Street Pastors where he helps out each month in the city centre or Merkinch. To this local knowledge, his interest in British and world history adds an international and historical perspective to his assessment of the needs of Britain at several levels of society.

Donald is concerned at the marginalising of Christian values in public life, and the open hostility to the practice of Christianity. He believes it is Christianity which made Britain Great, and the fragmentation of our society is because of the decline in practical Christianity. "I challenge someone to mention one thing which unites British society at present - not even a common language unites us," he says. This is even more true of the European Union. Although Donald has a keen interest in languages, with a mother who is a native Gaelic speaker, he understands that the ordinary British citizen is unable to follow what happens in Europe - they only feel the adverse effects of European laws made by faceless bureaucrats whose languages they do not even understand.

Donald thinks that the recent equality legislation will divide society further as different groups clamour for their rights to be paramount. He looks to the lessons of British history which led to the establishment of parliamentary democracy, the clarifying of the relationship of Church and state through Scottish Covenanting times and the 19th century Disruption. These lessons are being forgotten by our surveillance society, spying on its citizens instead of promoting neighbourliness through gracious influence. He looks in vain for parliamentarians "to fix broken Britain" with the Christian courage of William Wilberforce, who abolished the slave trade against powerful vested interests.

Vigor, Vision and Voice

Donald believes the nation needs to hear a distinctive Christian Voice in Parliament and so he has been persuaded to stand in this election. He says that he is "in it to win it" as Danny Alexander is simply a mouthpiece for the Liberal-Democratic Party's 'not so liberal' agenda. The people of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey need an MP who does more than reiterate party policy. The Scottish Christian Party comes with a new vigor, vision and voice which the country needs to hear. Donald wants to be part of that vision and victory.

Donald is the founder and current chairman of the Inverness branch of the Scottish Christian Party. He has campaigned for Christian issues for decades, but he began campaigning with the Scottish Christian Party in 2007 in order to fight the Holyrood Election in that year. He was appointed campaign manager for the Highlands and Islands in that election, and in less than four months of organising and campaigning, the Scottish Christian Party in the Highlands and Islands came from a standing start to overtake ten other parties, all in existence for a longer period of time.

He is married with four adult children and lives in Westhill, Inverness.

Calling for more Christian candidates

"If a trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for the battle?"
1Cor 14:8.

In the approaching General Election, announced for 6th May 2010, many Christians feel disenfranchised as they cannot conscientiously vote for any of the major parties. But it does not have to be that way!

What does it take to have a Christian Party candidate in your Parliamentary constituency? Not much.

1. First, you need one Christian prepared to put his/her name as a candidate on the ballot paper with (Scottish) Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship" beside their name. I count this an honour and I hope you would too.

2. Ten people on the Electoral Roll for that constituency - who will sign the nomination paper for this candidate, and one to act as Election Agent.

3. What does this cost? The deposit is £500, which will be recovered if the candidate gets more than 5% of the votes cast.

4. £500 = 10 Christians x£50 or 50 Christians x£10. If one divides by the five years of a parliamentary term this works out at £10/yr from 10 Christians for five years.

Are there ten such Christians in your constituency?

Abraham prayed for Sodom and he brought the number down from fifty to ten. The Lord matched him every step. When he got to ten, Abraham stopped. “And Abraham said, perhaps ten shall be found there? And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten” Gen 18:32. Abraham thought that he had done enough - but he had not!

Do you not have ten in your constituency who will act?

Possibly not: “And I sought for a man among them, that should repair the hedge, and stand in the gap: but I found none” Ezk 22:30.

Will you be disenfranchised just because no-one would put their name on the ballot paper?

Objection 1: But I don’t know how to campaign.

You don’t have to. Let me allay your fears. Paper candidates don’t usually campaign. What is a paper candidate?

In 2009 there was a by-election in the Inverness West Ward. The Labour and Conservative Parties each had a candidate on the ballot paper. However they did not expect to win. So their candidates put in very little effort. There were hardly any posters on lamp-posts and there were no candidates at any of the three Polling Stations on voting day. This is a paper candidacy: putting your name on the ballot paper so that people can vote for you although you do not campaign.

Objection 2: What's the point in a paper candidate?

It gives you someone to vote for - instead of abstaining. If we have enough such candidates, the Christian public will begin to see that it can be done. "Yes, we can!" The politicians will then begin to speak about those issues we care about.

It keeps the Christian Party before the mind of every voter who looks at the ballot paper. It proclaims Christ's Lordship to every voter in your constituency - a very cost effective way to do so. It publicises the Christian Party whenever any news media refers to the candidates in the election.

Objection 3: The media will ask me questions that I cannot answer.

1. The media don’t usually bother with minor parties. It takes politicians all their time to get the media to pay attention to them. You will not be the centre of attention unless you are able to draw attention to yourself.

2. Politicians set their own agenda. The major parties have set out their stall and it does not include the things of major concern to Christians, such as interfering with the declaration of the Gospel and living according to Christ's commandments.

3. When people ask what you are standing for, you simply mention the things which concern you! Is this difficult? Is it not good to have a platform on which to articulate the things which concern Christians?

Anything more than this is an extra. A welcome extra – but extra. We can help you with this, such as:

1. Producing a leaflet with your photograph and bullet point issues.

2. Handing them out to as many people as you can meet: this is a golden opportunity for Christian outreach and you will have some interesting conversations. Is this not what Christians want?

So what should you do?

If you live in the Highlands and Islands then get in touch with Dr Donald Boyd here or if you have a question.

If you live elsewhere in Scotland, you will find contact details here.

If you live in England or Wales, visit the Christian Party website to register your interest and download the forms. If you do it this way you may even find that the deposit is paid for you.

Every blessing!

"And Jesus said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Luke 18:27.