Christian Council of Britain
{{short description|British far-right organisation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Christian Council of Britain
|image = ChristianCouncilOfBritainLogo.gif
|size = 250px
|motto =
|formation = April 2006
|headquarters =
|type = British National Party-affiliated Christian lobby group
|leader_title =
|leader_name =
|key_people =
|website =
}}
The Christian Council of Britain (CCoB) is an organisation founded by Robert West. While the CCoB claims to be "an independent, non-political organisation autonomous of any political party in Britain", it is closely associated with the British National Party,{{cite news|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk/7978981.stm |title=Faith Diary: Vote Jesus?|last=Pigott|first=Robert|date=7 April 2009|publisher=BBC|access-date= 16 June 2009}}{{cite web | url = http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_060314bnp.shtml | publisher =Ekklesia | date = 14 March 2006 | title = BNP members involved in 'Christian' front}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_060316bnp.shtml|title=BNP helping to establish church group based around racial ideology|date=16 March 2006|publisher=Ekklesia|access-date=16 June 2009}} and West has been described as the BNP's religious affairs spokesman.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12391089|title=Church debates BNP ban for clergy|publisher= BBC News|date=8 February 2011|access-date=29 July 2013}}
Founder
The Times has stated that West is "an ordained elder" of the Apostolic Church;{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article2031287.ece|title=Conservative councillor joins BNP|author=Thair Shaikh|work=The Times|date=15 May 2006|access-date=8 May 2014}} however, the church denies knowledge of him and has distanced itself from his views.{{cite web |first = Jonathan |last = Bartley |title = Does any church claim 'Rev' Robert West? |url = http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/blogs/jonathan_bartley/rev_robert_west |work = Jonathan Bartley's blog |publisher = Ekklesia |access-date = 12 April 2012}} In 2006 West, then a Conservative Party councillor on South Holland District Council in Lincolnshire, was suspended from the Party after Lincoln's Race Equality Council expressed concerns over his links with the BNP.{{cite news|title= Councillor faces enquiry over BNP|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4977508.stm |date=5 May 2006|access-date=11 January 2011|publisher=BBC News}} BBC News subsequently reported that he had set up his own church, based in a house in Holbeach, to preach "traditional Bible beliefs".{{cite web |title = Suspended councillor moves to BNP |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4771779.stm |publisher = BBC News England |location = London, United Kingdom |date = 15 May 2006 |access-date = 12 April 2012 | quote = Mr West said he had been a lecturer in political philosophy and equal opportunities law.
He has set up his own church, based in a house in Holbeach, to preach "traditional Bible beliefs".}}
He later stood as a BNP candidate in the 2009 Norwich North by-election and in Lincoln during the General election of 2010, losing his deposit in both cases.
West also stood unsuccessfully during the 2009 European elections in the East Midlands region.
Beliefs
The CCB claims that the Bible justifies its support for the BNP's repatriation policy, i.e. "firm but voluntary incentives for immigrants and their descendants to return home."{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/BNP_uk_manifesto.pdf |publisher=BBC |title=BNP General Election Manifesto 2005 |access-date=27 July 2013}}
Opposition
The Christian Council of Britain has been criticised by a number of mainline British Christian organisations. The ecumenical organisation Churches Together in Britain and Ireland disclaimed any connection to the CCoB. It endorsed a statement by the Methodist Church that "Christian belief is incompatible with any political party or philosophy that is based on hatred or treats people as inferior because of their race, beliefs or for any other reason"{{cite web|title=No connection to the 'Christian Council of Britain'|url=http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2006/04/pr3306a.aspx|publisher=Church of England|access-date=27 May 2013|date=5 April 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110075814/https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2006/04/pr3306a.aspx |archive-date=2017-11-10}}{{cite web|title=Countering political extremism at the ballot box|url=http://www.methodist.org.uk/static/jpit/jpit_counteringpoliticalextremismtoolkit_0409.pdf|publisher=Baptist Union of Great Britain, The Methodist Church, The United Reformed Church|access-date=27 May 2013}}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and rejecting the CCoB's theological views on the separation of races. The Church of England's General Synod passed a motion on 9 February 2004 condemning "any political movement that seeks to divide our communities on the basis of ethnicity" as "an affront to the nature of God revealed in creation and Scripture", and stating that "voting for and/or supporting a political party that offers racist policies is incompatible with Christian discipleship".
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=471J9M7Ts1Y Film footage of the inaugural conference of the Christian Council of Britain in 2011]
{{UK far right}}
{{British National Party}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Council of Britain}}
Category:Organisations associated with the British National Party
Category:Christian organisations based in the United Kingdom