SOUTH WOODFORD: Vicar to stand in general election (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

SOUTH WOODFORD: Vicar to stand in general election

11:14am Monday 8th March 2010 in News By Claire Hack

Reverend Robert Hampson.

A VICAR is to stand for election in a Redbridge constituency in a bid to halt the “de-Christianisation” of Britain.

Reverend Robert Hampson, 51, of Holy Trinity, Hermon Hill, South Woodford, will stand in this year's election as a candidate for the Christian People's Alliance, contesting the seat currently held by Conservative Lee Scott.

Rev Hampson said: “In the last two years, we've seen financial and moral chaos in Parliament.

“We've seen rising concerns about issues including immigration, the breakdown of society and family, and rising crime."

He added that the increasing secularisation of the UK was “taking away the fundamental platform on which Britain has been built”.

“It's got to a point where people just ignore each other,” he said.

“You can't correct a child in the street without getting four-letter abuse. It highlights a society that's lost its way.”

Rev Hampson claims the Christian People's Alliance will offer a valid alternative to the main parties and that it will help to protect the interests of members of every faith, rather than just Christianity.

And although Rev Hampson will be focussing on making Christianity “centre stage” in Britain again, he will be taking an ecumenical approach to his campaign.

He said: “I'm the chairman of the East London Three Faiths Forum.

“In my campaign, I will be trying to mobilise Muslims and Jews as much as Christians.

“I will seek to speak to people in mosques and synagogues – I'm not coming at this from a narrow angle.”

Lee Scott won the seat in 2005, wresting it from Labour's hands with a majority of 1,653 votes.

Rev Hampson conceded it would be tough to beat any of the candidates for the three main parties, but cited the example of nearby Newham has three Christian People's Alliance councillors, meaning they are classed as one of the opposition parties.

He said: “It will be like David and Goliath – no one thought David would beat Goliath and no one thinks the Christian People's Alliance will beat Labour.

“Let's just see what happens.”

Rev Hampson featured in the Guardian last year following a successful campaign to help him find love, culminating in his engagement to Florence Adams.

They were married in November 2009.