CPAX Focus on

Tony Solomon

Tony Solomon

Tony Solomon is the CPA's candidate in the forthcoming Spencer Ward by-election in Northampton. He took a few minutes to talk to CPAX.

Why are you standing for Spencer Ward?

The local branch of the CPA asked me to stand when we heard about the by-election, as the rest of the guys are a bunch of scaredy-cats.

How did you get involved in the CPA?

18 months ago I met Timothy Webb, and we had some interesting conversations, especially as I, as a Christian, was beginning to think about politics for the first time. Timothy then gave me a copy of the Mayflower Declaration, and that was the hook, because everything it said reflected my own thinking at that time.

How long have you been a Christian?

15 years. I was a confirmed atheist before then. As I said to some friends around that time, "the last thing I'll do is become a Christian" - and it was!

Is your church behind you in this by-election?

Yes, they're very supportive, and indeed interested. To stand as a candidate in a local council election, you need the signatures of ten people living in the ward, and my church supplied all of them, very quickly indeed. And Joe Story, my pastor, was eager to supply a reference to enable me to stand as a CPA candidate.

Have you lived in Northampton all your life?

Yes.

Are you married?

Yes, and I have four young children.

What does your wife like to do?

She enjoys quilting, knitting, and so on - she likes doing "crafty" things with the children.

You appeared on BBC Radio Northampton last autumn. How did that come about?

The local CPA contingent here in Northampton was busy organising itself into an official local branch, and Martin Heath invited us to talk about it on his Sunday show. As the rest of the guys are a bunch of scaredy-cats (see above), I agreed to do it.

What are your interests?

Mainly theology and playing the guitar.

What do you mean by theology?

Can I phone a friend?

What theological books have informed your Christian Democratic politics?

"Church Dogmatics", by Karl Barth, who did lots of work in Nazi Germany before being expelled, and who helped to lay the foundations of modern Christian Democracy. "Gospel in a Pluralist Society", and "Foolishness of the Greeks", by Lesslie Newbigin, were very suggestive of an application of Christianity in politics which I hadn't seen before.

Er, okay, right... So - how are you getting on with the guitar?

All right so far, although it's been on the back burner over Christmas because I've been so busy, and of course now there's this election coming up, but I'm still practising, and I can play some tunes. I'm learning some stuff by The Jam and Paul Weller, and I wanna play da blues.

What do you think you can achieve in the next year or so if you are elected to represent Spencer?

I used to be a council tenant, and I know that the council doesn't always get things completely right, although I must say they generally do a good job where council housing is concerned. And I used to work at the council depot at Westbridge, which means I have some inside experience to work with. So, quite apart from standing up for Spencer Ward and putting a Christian perspective into council meetings, I am confident that I'd be able to do a good job of helping people to resolve problems they encounter with council services. Also, if I'm elected, I'll be the only CPA member on the council, so I will attract significantly more attention for Spencer Ward's issues than if I were just another Labour councillor.

What are you passionate about, politically speaking?

Democracy. I think our country's democracy is under a greater threat now than at any time since the Second World War, and I do not mean the terrorists. I started as a Tory, and supported Margaret Thatcher, until I saw where her policies were leading us. Then I supported Labour, but they lost my trust. If it weren't for the CPA, I might have supported the Liberal Democrats, but only reluctantly, because they've moved away from their original foundation of Christian values.

What real world experience do you bring to the table? What have you done that qualifies you to represent the "man in the street"?

I was an assistant air traffic controller in the RAF for six years; I worked, as I said earlier, for the council works department; and I currently work at a firm of solicitors in the town centre. And I've been a Baptist lay minister for about four years.

Do you think you're going to win in Spencer Ward?

I think, if we put a lot of hard work into it, yes, we could win.

You were Timothy Webb's election agent in the 2005 General Election. How useful do you think that experience will prove to be, in terms of this local election?

I get to be election agent again. (Sigh.) But it was a great experience, not just in the run-up to the election, but on Election Night itself, getting to speak to people that I would not otherwise have had a chance to contact - members of the other parties, BBC reporters, and so on. Wearing that badge meant I could go anywhere and talk to anybody. Having already seen what the score is, I know there's nothing to be frightened of, and that can only be a good thing.

If you are elected, what will you do for the people of Spencer Ward? Will you be a "paper councillor", or a real one?

A real one, by the grace of God! The last thing this town needs is a councillor who doesn't represent his ward. Being passionate about democracy means taking responsibility for it.

Do you have to be a Christian to vote for the CPA?

No, certainly not. It's a political organisation, not a revival rally. We're not here to do the Church's job. The reason we're called Christian Democrats rather than just Democrats is that it's Christian values that inform our politics.

What does your wife think about your potentially becoming a councillor?

She is supporting me during the election. If I get elected... well, we'll jump off that bridge when we come to it!

Even if you win Spencer, you can only hold office for just over a year before the next election. Will you be standing again in 2007?

I've no idea. If I prove effective and gain the trust of the people of Spencer Ward, then that would be an incentive to stand again.

Do religion and politics mix?

Yes, they do, because values matter. In a democracy, everyone is free to stand on the values that they have. We're not trying to force people to be religious, or to penalise them for not being religious. We're here to speak up for families, and for the vulnerable, because that's where our values lead us.

Do you have a message for Christians in Spencer Ward?

Vote for me!

No, come on - really?

Okay. If you already vote for another party, please consider what we stand for, not only in our policies but in the principles that guide those policies. Do you have faith in the principles that guide the party you vote for? And if you don't normally vote, please consider doing so this time, as an expression of the commandment to love your neighbour. We can't complain about how bad things are, if changing them doesn't start with us. As King Solomon says in Proverbs 31:8, "Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed."[1] We believe that God has called us to the task of bringing Biblical principles back into the governance of Spencer Ward - and, of course, Britain.

Tony Solomon, thank you very much.