On Saturday 6 December 2014 in the afternoon I went to the first UKIP Wales Conference at The Orangery in Margam Park, Port Talbot. I am not currently a UKIP member, but I managed to purchase a ticket and confirmed with the organisers that I had clearance to attend before showing up.
UKIP's banner is 'The People's Army' and this can be seen with the unpretentious group of delegates and speakers assembled, who have a passionate desire for common sense policies in British politics and to oppose the cavalier political elite of Westminster, who are completely clueless as to the strength of feeling held against them by the ostracised British electorate that they continuously ignore or patronise.
In the past I have been a member of UKIP, but I can't sign up or vote for a party that publishes on its website the views of Roger Helmer MEP a few weeks before the European Parliamentary election 2014:
"It is morally acceptable to prefer heterosexuality over homosexuality, or vice versa. Most of us prefer one or the other." (UKIP, 29 April 2014)
The publication of this statement on the UKIP website is completely contrary to the historic position of UKIP wanting to uphold Judaeo-Christian values as I and others have commented previously. (Christian Doctrine, 2 July 2011) (Christian Doctrine, 21 May 2014)
A Call for UKIP to clarify its position on upholding Judaeo-Christian Values
Many Christians want to vote for UKIP, including myself, but as a point of conscience can not as they see mixed messages published in the media and on the party's website on where UKIP really stands with respect to upholding Judaeo-Christian values.
Nigel Farage, UKIP's leader, opened the conference with a rousing speech and gave several illustrations on how the media repeatedly distort what he says and what is UKIP's real position.
A general election is on 7 May 2015, less than six months away today. So it is perfectly reasonable to request clarification from UKIP as to where the party really stands on this matter. This is vitally important as in doing so the real heart of the party and its value system will be shown.
We have all seen the God hating demonic value system of the three other main political parties and how they proudly boast each time they pass another perverse Act to promote evil and destroy good.
After Nigel Farage had completed his speech and left the delegate area I very briefly spoke to him and passed on in writing two sheets of prepared questions and stressed how important I felt it was that UKIP clarifies its position on Judaeo-Christian values. Mr Farage accepted the papers and seemed to almost anticipate my question, which I found interesting. The questions I handed to him were:
1. "For the sake of transparency and clarity, will the leaders of UKIP please tell me now and publish on their website later, what they really mean by standing up for Judaeo-Christian values in the UK and how this will map into their policies, specifically with respect to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, which this government has used to destroy the traditional and proven concept of marriage between a man and a woman and subsequently has given Stonewall and other government agencies a free rein to promote homosexuality and same-sex relationships as normal and of equal standing in the classroom?
The UK government is destroying Judaeo-Christian values what will UKIP do about it?"
(The questions below were given to me by a Christian woman who also seeks clarification from UKIP on similar issues.)
2. Following a sex education class a 13 year old boy raped a girl. (The Telegraph, 25 November 2014) Many parents are concerned about the explicit nature of sex lessons.
Will UKIP protect parental freedoms by keeping sex education non-compulsory and maintaining the parental right of withdrawal?
3. The case against compulsory Sex and Relationship Education (SRE), which is entirely linked to the provision of contraceptives and abortion services in schools, is well documented in this document: 'Too much, too soon' produced by the Family Education Trust.
Does UKIP have a policy to maintain Christianity's vital influence on education? A Christian school was threatened with closure for failing to uphold Cameron's new 'British values' and pupils at a Jewish school were traumatised by Ofsted's questions on gay marriage. (The Guardian 14 October 2014)
4. The Equality Act 2010 is now being used to politicise the curriculum. New rules and so-called 'British values' now impose duties to actively promote LGBT equality and may affect the freedom of speech of pupils, parents and teachers.
How will UKIP address the conflict of laws which on the one hand protect a religious school to maintain its ethos whilst at the same time using Ofsted to impose new school standards of 'British values'?
UKIP Need to Improve Clarity of Message
A step in the right direction, Nigel Farage did make it very clear in one area of UKIP's policy concerning religious eduction that Judaeo-Christian values are the values of the UK. None of what Nigel Farage says is racist as the media and the protesters outside the conference would like to portray. Just common sense proposals and ideas that are true British values.
The clarity Mr Farage has shown here needs now to be mapped to other vitally important areas of policy relating to Judaeo-Christian values e.g. protecting the most vulnerable in our society from abortion (aka state legalised murdering of babies), traditional marriage, natural families, natural parenting, sex and relationship education and setting out the commandments of God as the measure and framework for justice, true equality and the protection of citizens from evil. This is not an extreme proposition as our legal system is based under the crest of the Queen and the moto of "Dieu et mon droit" meaning 'God and my right'.
At the conference Nathan Gill MEP was appointed as 'Leader of UKIP Wales' by Nigel Farage. Congratulations to Nathan Gill. In Mr Gill's speech he exhorted the delegates with the words of Jesus Christ in Mark 5:36, when the ruler of the synagogue was told that his daughter was dead, "Be not afraid, only believe." - the daughter was raised up shortly afterwards by Jesus Christ.
Mr Gill went on further to encourage the delegates about being true to their values and that 'right is might' and that 'values are worth fighting for'.
Later Warwick Nicholson, Chairman of UKIP Wales, lamented in his speech that men were encouraged to marry men and looked forward to the time when marriage would be rolled back to being exclusively between a man and a woman to maintain our humanity. He then said that Nathan Gill had been tasked with developing the policy document to clarify how UKIP would uphold Judaeo-Christian values.
Warwick Nicholson talks to James Waddell after the UKIP Wales Autumn Conference 2014
UKIP Wales should be commended for allowing its Welsh participants to share their Christian beliefs on a public platform (Amjad Bashir MEP for Yorkshire & North Lincs, a Muslim also gave a speech). However, what is necessary is for the UKIP National Executive Council (NEC) to publish their position on Judaeo-Christian values well in advance of the General Election in May 2015 so that the UK electorate and particularly Christians know exactly where the party stands. This is a reasonable and fair request for transparency from the people of the UK so that they can make a fully informed choice on polling day.
If UKIP wants to be the party in and with power on 8 May 2015 its policies need to be a comprehensive manifesto for governing the UK not to just get out of the EU.
"Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed." (1 Chronicles 22:13)