Inverness and Nairn candidates support assisted suicide and homosexual marriage
30 April 2011
The Lib Dem and UKIP candidates for the Inverness and Nairn constituency of the Scottish Parliament have stated that they are in favour of assisted suicide and homosexual marriage, and the Conservative candidate has not given thought to the issue of homosexual marriage.
At a church-organised hustings in the King’s Factory, Inverness, on Wednesday evening, 27th April 2011, candidates for the Inverness and Nairn constituency were asked how they would vote if Margo MacDonald re-introduced another Bill to legalise Assisted Suicide. The Lib Dem candidate, Christine Jardine, said that she would support it, and the UKIP candidate Ross Durance also said he would vote Yes because of freedom of choice, although he stated that he did not know the UKIP policy on this. The other candidates were all opposed to it: Mary Scanlon of the Conservative Party, David Stewart, of the Labour Party; Fergus Ewing, of the SNP; and Dr Donald Boyd, of the Scottish Christian Party.
On a question about the Equalities and Human Rights Commission encouraging legislation on homosexual marriage in Scotland, candidates were asked what was their personal view of this and, if it conflicts with their Party’s view, how would they vote? Mary Scanlon of the Conservatives said that she had not been in discussion with her party on this issue. On voting on same-sex marriage she concluded by saying that she hadn’t given it much thought. So on one of the greatest social upheavals of our generation the Conservative candidate has not given it much thought nor discussion with her party.
The economic downturn is an opportunity 1. to bury bad news; 2. to introduce cuts under the guise that ‘it must be done’; and also 3. to introduce moral change when people’s minds are focused on other matters. This economic downturn will come to an end, but the moral revolution will continue long after the economic dust has settled. This shows the sleight of hand in so much modern politics.
In her reply, Mary Scanlon said of Philip Lardner, the former Conservative parliamentary candidate whom David Cameron dismissed publicly during the last General Election campaign: “He did make comments that homosexuals aren’t normal people, and that was unacceptable to us.” After being contacted, Lardner said that Mary Scanlon’s statement is wrong and he has never said such a thing. He claimed he was sacked for a written statement on Lardner’s personal website: “Homosexuality is not normal behaviour”. Lardner continued: “The Conservative Party has misrepresented me.” A contemporary analysis of this event can be found here.
This adds to the perception that the Tories are not a safe option to defend traditional, Christian and natural standards. Mary Scanlon also mentioned that a Conservative candidate on the North East Scotland Regional List, Alex Johnstone had been very supportive of the Church of Scotland minister who has a same-sex partner.
The Scottish Parliament needs a distinctively Christian voice from the Scottish Christian Party to defend traditional, Christian and natural marriage against those politicians whose education has not enabled them to see the difference between civil partnership and marriage. The Lib Dem candidate, Christine Jardine, said that she could see very little difference between civil partnerships and marriage. Sadly this is now common fare - just as ‘gay’ has been misappropriated by the homosexual lobby, so the very concept and definition of marriage is being airbrushed out of official language.
The UKIP candidate saw no problem with homosexual marriage.
Let Christians take note of what is happening in our country and vote for the Scottish Christian Party both in the Inverness and Nairn constituency and on the Highlands and Islands Regional ballot.
The next election in four or five years from now will be too late – you need to act in this election.