Premier Christian Radio CEO: Don't Overlook Christian Voters

By Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The top executive of the largest Christian radio broadcaster in Britain has warned that politicians should not ignore Christian voters as membership within their own political party continues to dwindle.

Peter Kerridge, Chief Executive Officer of Premier Christian Radio, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron detailing the importance of those individuals who attend church regularly. Membership to the three main parties in Britain has seen a significant reduction in the past two decades.

Kerridge detailed the continued migration away from the three largest political groups and the depletion in membership were due to the continued advocating of unpopular positions such as same-sex marriage and abortion and an overall shift away from Christian values within the parties themselves.

Membership within the three main parties- Conservative, Liberal and Labour- has plummeted from a top membership of around 1.4 million in 1991 to less than half a million in 2012, according to reports from Christianity Today.

"Politicians would do well to heed the views of Christians who are, quite clearly, more faithful to their beliefs than the dwindling numbers of party members," Kerridge wrote in his letter.

"Perhaps politicians of all parties should reflect on these depressing figures when they consider their positions on the rights of Christians in the U.K.," he added.

The rights Kerridge was referencing dealt with the recent proceedings at the European Court of Human Rights which heard four cases specifically concerned with the oppression of Christians actively living out their faith in their jobs.

"Some 3.8 million Christians attend church on a regular basis – that's nearly ten times the number of card carrying party members … Yet we have recently witnessed the farcical situation in Strasbourg where a British government, which claims to support religious freedom, finds itself defending UK court decisions preventing Christians from wearing crosses," he wrote.

Two of the cases heard involved Nadia Eweida and Shirley Chaplin, who were both fired from their positions for wearing cross necklaces to work.

"Christians will not leave their faith at home when they cast their votes at the ballot box," he said.