The Christian People’s Alliance – the first entirely Christian party in the UK has released details of its manifesto to promote its views for the final leg in the race leading up to the General Election on 5th May. The manifesto was launched at an event in Newham, East London recently and was used further reach out to voters – in particular to capture the "Christian Vote".

Within the manifesto, the CPA seemed to try and draw together the main political hot issues and then promote the Christian view on these topics – as expressed by Christian leaders recently across the denominational lines.

Prior to its release the manifesto was rumoured to be radical – however, the views and opinions expressed did not lay down specific "radical" moves with regards to the major topics.

The CPA listed five core topics and issues that it believes to be the most important to today’s UK society in the run-up to the election. They were:

1) Stable Marriage
2) Moral Values in Schools
3) An Uncompromising Pro-Life Ethic
4) Make Poverty History for Everyone
5) Compassion for Refugees

These top issues have been the centre for a great deal of debate over recent months in society as well as among Christian denominations as well as Christian organisations, and the CPA has tried to incorporate a manifesto that could suit the views among Catholics, Anglicans and Evangelicals among others.

The manifesto was titled, "Life, Truth, Compassion" and as well as the core issues addressed above, it called for the new EU Constitution to acknowledge the deep roots of Christianity in Europe by having Christianity included in the Constitution.

In addition the CPA also emphasised the great importance of the United Nations (UN) and expressed for its inner-workings to be modified, and to undertake a greater military role in the world arena.

On the issue of refugees the manifesto promised that the CPA would try to encourage greater security to be put in place at UK ports, but emphasised the need for there to be greater compassion in the way the immigration and asylum systems were set up.

Although the party is looking towards the General Election on 5th May with hope, other Christian elements and parties have expressed their worries and opposition to there being a "Christian Party" competing in the political arena. Ekklesia – the UK’s No.1 Christian think-tank reported the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum as criticising the idea of a completely Christian political party and suggested that such a thing would prove to be ineffective and may even result in marginalising Christians. The Conservative Christian Fellowship and the Christian Socialist Movement expressed similar views with regards to the CPS, reported Ekklesia.