Christian Council of Britain: Difference between revisions

The '''Christian Council of Britain''' (CCoB) is an organisation founded by [[Robert West (politician)|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]],<ref name="BBC-Pigott">{{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]]|accessdate= 16 June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_060314bnp.shtml | publisher =[[Ekklesia (think tank)]] | date = 14 March 2006 | title = BNP members involved in 'Christian' front}}.</ref><ref name ="Ekklesia060316">{{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|accessdate=16 June 2009}}</ref> and West has been described as the BNP's religious affairs spokesman.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12391089|title=Church debates BNP ban for clergy|work= BBC news|date=8 February 2011|accessdate=29 July 2013}}</ref>

''[[The Times]]'' has stated that West is "an ordained elder" of the [[Apostolic Church (denomination)|Apostolic Church]];<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article2031287.ece|title=Conservative councillor joins BNP|author=Thair Shaikh|work=The Times|date=May 15, 2006|accessdate=8 May 2014}}</ref> however, the church denies knowledge of him and has distanced itself from his views.<ref>{{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 (think tank)|Ekklesia]] |accessdate = 12 April 2012}}</ref> In 2006 West, then a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] councillor on [[South Holland District Council]] in Lincolnshire, was suspended from the Party<ref name= "bbc4771779" /> after Lincoln's Race Equality Council expressed concerns over his links with the BNP.<ref name="bbc4977508">{{cite news|title= Councillor faces enquiry over BNP|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4977508.stm |date=5 May 2006|accessdate=11 January 2011|work=BBC News}}</ref> [[BBC News]] subsequently reported that he had set up his own church, based in a house in [[Holbeach]], to preach "traditional Bible beliefs".<ref name="bbc4771779">{{cite web |title = Suspended councillor moves to BNP |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4771779.stm |work = BBC News England |publisher = BBC |location = London, United Kingdom |date = 15 May 2006 |accessdate = 12 April 2012 | quote = Mr West said he had been a lecturer in political philosophy and equal opportunities law.<br />He has set up his own church, based in a house in Holbeach, to preach "traditional Bible beliefs".}}</ref>

He later stood as a BNP candidate in the [[2009 Norwich North by-election|2009 Norwich North by-election]] and in [[Lincoln (UK Parliament constituency)|Lincoln]] during the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|General election of 2010]], losing his deposit in both cases.