I’m a Christian and I'll be voting Conservative

There’s only one way we are truly going to tackle poverty in the UK; those who can work should and those who cannot must be supported. The first requires a government that will create and grow jobs, the second requires a government that delivers a strong economy.

I believe only the Conservatives can do that.

Education

Before I talk about the economy and jobs, I want to talk about education. Scripture tells us the importance of training a child in the way they should go. A decent education can set someone up for life, and a poor education can hold them back.

In 2010, just 68 per cent of schools were rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, despite a decade of the Labour government pouring finances into schools. Now, after 14 years of Conservatives, over 90 per cent of schools are achieving those standards, and our children are the highest performing readers in the Western world.

Under the Conservatives, hundreds of free and independent schools have also opened across the UK, delivering bespoke special educational needs support and, vitally for us as Christians, many are also operating as Christian schools. Our children are free to be taught scripture and Christian values alongside the curriculum.

I went to such a school in Witney and it’s not possible to explain the positive impact it had on my life. Even today, aged 36, I have fond memories of memory verse challenges and maths lessons that began with the teacher trying to get us to remember the books of the Bible in order.

Those who can work, should

Labour’s schools tax, which will add 20 per cent to the cost of independent schooling, will put independent Christian schools at risk. Many barely break even and it will only take a small drop in numbers for the closures to begin.

Not everyone who attends these schools is wealthy. My dad was a mechanic and my mum worked in a nursery for the church. We benefitted from this education due to church support.

The need to raise money for schools is real, but Labour’s plan is not the way forward. There is no tax on gossip magazines, or many cakes and bakes, so why tax a child’s education? A decent, Bible-based education is a greater service to the country than HELLO! magazine.

Employment

Back to jobs, and how we defeat poverty.

During Covid, Rishi Sunak spent £78bn in delivering furlough. 11m people received state support that protected their jobs and ensured they could pay their employees. We don’t hear much about that anymore, but we do complain about the debt the UK racked up. Approximately £70bn was also loaned out to small businesses to keep them afloat. Loans that they are now paying back with interest.

When things got tough, then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak did what was needed to make sure people kept their jobs and the economy kept going. While some nations saw unemployment soar after Covid, ours has stayed low.

Our economy is now growing, wages are rising faster than inflation. We are growing faster than most of Europe. But we cannot risk that recovery, we must build on it.

Work hard

Those who can work, should. Most of us agree with that, yet we have 2.8m Brits off work sick, 5.8m people on universal credit and 9.1m people of working age receiving some kind of benefit.

Clearly, something is wrong. Work doesn’t pay and people need state support to get by. We’re barely out of covid and the economic shock is still being felt. We need to start paying down the national debt racked up from furlough, energy support payments and business loans.

Our children are free to be taught scripture and Christian values alongside the curriculum

As a councillor, all too often I meet people for whom work doesn’t pay. I meet single mothers who can’t do a full-time job because they will lose their benefits. I meet parents who stay at home because they can’t afford childcare.

Under the Conservatives, every parent is now entitled to 30 hours free childcare a week. Taxes have been slashed for the lowest earners. Both of these will help people into work.

Future foundations

Things have been tough over the last few years, but the Conservatives have a plan and it’s working. 

The Conservatives will make work pay, by keeping taxes low and growing wages. They will get the country back to work, by offering better childcare options. They will protect your right to choose your child’s education, instead of penalising you for sending your child to a Christian school.

That’s why, as a Christian, I’ll be voting Conservative.