Christians plot political infiltration

Fundamentalists are trying to ensure that only candidates who back "family values" fight next year’s Holyrood election.

A Scotland on Sunday investigation has established that Christian Action Research and Education (Care), a UK charity with an annual income of 2.4m, has drawn up plans for as many of its members as possible to join mainstream political parties.

Last night it led MSPs to accuse the group of trying to "pervert democracy". Care was among the most vigorous opponents of the repeal of Section 28, which banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools.

The organisation aims to tackle what it regards as Scotland’s "permissive society", including government plans to give greater rights to homosexuals and quicky divorces.

Now it plans to escalate its activities by persuading members to join the Labour party, SNP, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in Scotland and influence their internal candidate selection procedures.

In a message written for its estimated 3,500 Scottish supporters, Care has urged activists to "consider joining a political party" to help "give a strong moral lead in the Scottish parliament".

Noting that selection procedures are now underway for parliamentary candidates, the internet appeal adds: "This provides an opportunity for Christians to influence this selection process by joining political parties and asking the potential candidates their views on a range of issues."

In another message, the group claims Britain’s political system presents Care "with huge opportunities to influence the governance of our society".

It suggests activists join with a friend "so that you can support each other in making a difference".

The message adds: "It is only by joining that we can help change policies. Membership enables you to vote on issues and be a part of policy formation, as well as taking part in the selection of candidates for elections."

The disclosures have appalled mainstream politicians in Scotland, amid fears that falling party membership levels could leave them vulnerable to infiltration.

Mike Russell, the SNP’s shadow education minister, said: "Clearly everyone has a legitimate role to play in politics but if the role is to try and take parties over for a single viewpoint it won’t succeed because parties are not like that.

"To try to do so strikes me as a perversion of democracy."

The Scottish Tories and Labour voiced similar fears and the development alarmed gay rights campaigners, mindful of Brentwood and Ongar where Martin Bell stood in last year’s election after claims that the local Conservative association had been infiltrated by an evangelical church.

Tim Hopkins, a spokesman for Scotland’s Equality Network, said: "My main concern is that if an organisation makes a point of trying to join small party branches there is a danger they will have a disproportionate effect."

Care enjoys access to Executive ministers. It has lobbied hard to ensure the morning after pill is not made more widely available to school children and has also resisted the lowering of the age of homosexual consent.

Last night a Care spokesman said its message to supporters was probably worded "quite crudely" but the charity was acting on concerns about politicians not representing the views of ordinary people in Scotland.

Adam Atkinson, the charity’s head of communications, said: "We are saying that, if you are wanting to bring about change in your community, then it makes sense to get involved in political parties."

Scotland on Sunday’s investigations established that in total over 100 MPs and MSPs, including Scottish ministers Peter Peacock, Malcolm Chisholm and Nicol Stephen, have been employing staff who also represent organisations with vested interests in government policy.

Peacock, the deputy finance minister, employs Hugh Raven, a professional lobbyist who has been getting paid tens of thousands of pounds to campaign for a Executive policy U-turn on organic farming.

The disclosure sparked opposition fears of unfair access to the Executive, and while Labour insisted there was nothing unfair about the practice Tricia Marwick, the SNP MSP and standards committee vice convener said Holyrood may now have to regulate non-commercial lobbyists.