The Scottish Christian Party believes the country needs a
distinctly Christian
Voice in the Scottish Parliament and, by God’s grace,
it is possible to do so.
How is it Possible? Click here.
 |
 |
1. Self-sustainability
Scotland’s natural resources and its historical work ethic are well suited to self-sustainability in the climate of reduced reliance on fossil fuels. Wise stewardship of God-given resources is essential to build a just and prosperous nation. Scotland has great natural advantages that, properly managed, can provide the essential services for civilised life and useful productive employment. The economy should be the servant of the people of Scotland, not their master.
To achieve self-sustainability waste must be reduced. We will encourage built-in continuity rather than built-in obsolescence. We will seek to improve energy efficiency in our homes and lifestyles. We will also support local supply of food and recreation, power and building materials.
2. The Working Week
Many people work too much, many not enough. The Scottish Christian Party would seek to profoundly reduce waste in society and encourage the more equitable distribution of the opportunity to work and the benefits that flow from work. The Scottish Christian Party believes that "obedience is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15: 22) The Scottish Christian Party therefore believes that the first step that Scotland should take to reduce waste and apparently environmentally damaging carbon emissions is to have greater observance of a weekly day of rest. We would seek a Royal Commission to report on the social and environmental benefits of observing Sunday as a day of rest. The Scottish Christian Party notes that the observance of a day of rest as prescribed in the Ten Commandments would not only bring Scotland into obedience with God's Word but also be an immediate blessing to the over worked Scottish people.
3. Venture Capitalism
The Scottish Christian Party supports local wealth generation with an emphasis on local entrepreneurs rather than hand-outs to multinational firms. We will encourage joint ownership schemes where venture capital rather than grants would be made available by local government. Profits from successful ventures would be ploughed back in to new ventures. We will support business rates holidays and business mentoring for start-ups.
4. National Work Service
The Scottish Christian Party, in partnership with industrial leaders, will support training schemes to reduce skills shortages in Scotland and the need for costly immigration. School-leavers who have not found a job within five (or ten) weeks of leaving school would be attached first and foremost to new and growing Scottish owned businesses. Salaries would be subsidised for the first two years to the extent that benefits would have been paid if the school leaver were unemployed. As a condition of unemployment benefit we would explore the condition that claimants are available each Monday to work as unpaid driver's mates or on environmental improvement projects. This would safeguard the habit of work and give opportunities to get positive references.
5. Super Casinos
Recognising that gambling addiction is a blight on society the Scottish Christian Party will oppose all plans to establish super casinos in Scotland.
6. Water
Scotland’s water resources are a long term national asset with the potential to deliver an increasing competitive advantage over countries where water is becoming more scarce and expensive. We will keep Scottish Water in public ownership and encourage long term integrated planning (with housing, energy and transport) in the interests of all the people of Scotland. We will explore the potential for the large-scale export of water from Scotland.
7. Oil
In the North Sea, the remaining oil must be effectively extracted and the decommissioning process maximise the re-use of oil rigs and infrastructure into marine renewable projects. When the Atlantic frontier is developed, part of the revenue must be set aside to encourage renewables and the infrastructure designed to be adapted later for marine renewable projects.
8. Nuclear & Coal
We accept that a sustainable balance of energy sources is currently needed, including clean coal, but with as much renewable energy as we can, as soon as possible. The Scottish Christian Party believes that it is wrong to leave this problem of the disposal of nuclear waste to future generations. Therefore we would require any budget for new nuclear power stations to include a ring-fenced significant percentage of that budget for research and development of a nuclear waste disposal solution. The Scottish Christian Party is wary of any large-scale reliance on imported energy. We would invest now to be sustainable and self-sufficient in the future.
9. Renewables
Scotland has outstanding potential to be the renewable energy capital of Europe. The key to unlocking this potential could be a sub-sea ‘ring main’ round the coast from Hunterston to Torness. We will encourage serious research into its viability as a basis for making us self-sufficient in energy and a major exporter. The planning system and grants should encourage greater energy efficiency and the incorporation of appropriate technology into all new buildings and major improvements. We would encourage small-scale renewable schemes and champion their right to sell energy to the grid. We will cooperate internationally with research into the potential to transform energy storage and transmission; e.g. through the use of hydrogen.
10. Forestry
We will support the development of biomass energy and encourage the planning of Scotland’s forests to meet our long term needs for energy, carbon sinks, construction and insulation materials. We will increase the level of support to community forest initiatives that encourage sustainable resources near to where people live.
11. Agriculture
We will seek to encourage retailers and builders to make the maximum possible use of local sources of supply, through the planning system. We will encourage home-growing and allotments and the community use of 'set-aside' land.
12. Fisheries
We will seek limits around our island communities to preserve stocks of fish and sand-eels. We will examine the role of the Crown Commission to ensure that communities benefit from the potential offered by the shoreline and sea-bed.
13. Consumer Debt
We would legislate so that consumer debt not repaid within 7 years, and the interest thereon, would be completely written off, forcing a new responsibility on lenders in advertising, contractual terms and collection mechanisms.
14. Working Mothers
We would reverse the incessant drive to get mothers into the formal labour market and lobby Westminster for a tax and benefit system that recognises the evidence that children brought up by a mother at home, with a working father, have by far the best life chances.
15. Tourism
Tourism is without doubt the fastest growing and largest single industry in Scotland, particularly in rural areas. Tourism accounts for around nine per cent of employment, and this figure is increasing. This sector is currently worth approximately £4.2 billion to our economy, and this figure is also on the increase. The Scottish Christian Party will promote this industry within government and encourage further growth and professionalism at grass roots level.
Changes which have been detrimental to the tourist industry were introduced three years ago with the integration of the Area Tourist Boards (ATBs) into the centralised body Visitscotland.
The regions of Scotland are too diverse to be run centrally each having its own identity and history. We would propose the reinstatement of the fourteen Area Tourist Boards acknowledging the worth of their local expertise and passion for their respective areas.
Visitscotland as an organisation should be downsized and reformed as a small co-ordinating body with direction and control coming from the ATBs.
We will encourage registration of all tourism service providers without requiring classification and burdening them with legislation. The option of classification would still be available if desired.
The first point of contact is often the local Tourist Information Centre. Their current restricted hours need to become more flexible and they should be located, preferably, in establishments that are open for longer hours thus allowing more access to tourist information.
We will endeavour to take steps to lessen, where possible the building of large scale hydro-electric schemes and onshore wind farms in predominantly tourism orientated areas. We will encourage their construction in more industrialised locations where the power produced is most needed. We will encourage research into and development of smallscale renewable energy resources such as micro-hydro to directly benefit local communities, thus enhancing the eco tourism potential.
We will seek to develop an apprenticeship scheme within the tourism industry to encourage young people to view the hospitality industry as an exciting and worthwhile career choice with a definite structure.
We will encourage the promotion of cultural tourism, building on Scotland's established links within the UK and abroad. Thereby enabling more and more to say, "Scotland's for me".
16. Mechanical copyright protection for recording artists and
producers
The Scottish Christian Party will seek that the Mechanical Copyright Protection enjoyed by songwriters should be extended to featured recording artists and record producers. The Scottish Christian Party will seek that a minimum royalty percentage (the level of which should be decided through consultation with the music industry) should be paid to featured recording artists and producers on exactly the same basis as is currently paid to songwriters. This could be administered by the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society.
|
|
• Christian Constitution of
Scotland: The Scottish Christian Party
highlights the irresponsible failure of the SNP to say what
will happen to the Christian Constitution of Scotland if the
Treaty of Union 1707 is broken.
The Scottish public deserves
to know this before an Election in which the pundits
think the SNP may form the next administration; but the SNP has
not addressed the question publicly far less provided any
answers.
• Education: To give real choice we
will campaign for an Educational Voucher Scheme, sex education
on a parental opt-in basis, a daily act of Christian worship
with Bible reading, and no obligation to promote other
faiths.
Creationism and Intelligent Design will be
considered alongside Evolution in science classes.
• Economic Development: Less
reliance on fossil fuels, with increased emphasis on
self-sustainability. Investment in new nuclear
plants must be matched by investment in research and
development for nuclear waste solutions.
Explore the
potential of water export, and effective extraction of North
Sea oil with infrastructure designed to be adapted afterwards
for marine renewable projects.
• Housing: Affordable housing earmarked as Local Family Housing.
• Gambling: Opposition to super casinos.
• Elected Police & Fire chiefs: The role of the Police and Fire Service does not involve marching in uniform, or handing out leaflets, at Gay parades. We believe they should be maintaining law and order impartially, and fighting fires. Electing chiefs will ensure accountability.
• Freedom of conscience, of speech and of public preaching: We will address the imbalance in law concerning giving and taking offence, and the oppressive emphasis in diversity training.
• Drugs: Zero tolerance on illegal drugs.
