So I come to the last in a series, charting and reflecting on the story of the 2019 British General Election from the time the election was called, on the same day we were meant to leave the EU, 31^st October 2019, until a few days ago when we knew the result, 13^th December 2019. Lots have been said and many have pontificated and I have taken in but a fraction, yet said much in my posts in this series:

Electionwatch 2019 – the result

Electionwatch 2019 – crunch time

Electionwatch 2019 – Amos the Prophet

Electionwatch 2019 – Southend East Hustings

Electionwatch 2019 – Southend West Hustings

Electionwatch 2019 – the Pro-Life Party

Electionwatch 2019 – The Brexit Party

Electionwatch 2019 – The Conservative Party

Electionwatch 2019 – The Labour Party

Electionwatch 2019 – The LibDems

Electionwatch 2019 – the Southend scene

Personal thoughts influencing my voting on 12th December

Who should Christians vote for on December 12th?

The more I think about it, the more I feel relieved we have dodged a bullet with Boris and his Conservatives getting in instead of Jeremy and some progressive alliance, and with the LibDem threat being nullified with Labour having been rightly rejected for reasons given in my previous blog. Not that there has not been disappointments, like Nicola and her SNP party doing well in Scotland and Nigel and his Brexit Party (who Boris owes much for getting Brexit back on track) doing badly, and of course excellent candidates and I think of my own local scene, losing out despite being better (imho) than those who did get elected. Moreover, I have reservations, not just concerning Boris and his well publicised character flaws, along with plenty of examples suggesting that rather than caring for the poor the Conservatives are the nasty party with the concerning prospect they may be able to push through bad legislation due to weak opposition. There are many concerns and I don’t have to look much further than my own area of community activism – homelessness. Yet I see them as the best of the bad lot, and consider they have begun well with Boris message of healing and promising to deliver on behalf of all the nation, especially disaffected Labourites, starting with the NHS. I sense the Lord, who is above politics, has had mercy on our nation, despite what many of my leftie friends may think.

While many attempts were made to make the election NOT about Brexit, it was very much about Brexit. While, like many, I have qualms concerning the First Past the Post system of voting, it has delivered us from the chaos we have seen in all branches of government, when no one was in charge and the country was brought to a debilitating political stand still. The pundits will no doubt draw their own conclusions on why we got the result we did, and while I agree there are special considerations to apply to Scotland and Northern Ireland in the way the voting went, the one I draw is while the common man may not have great confidence in those they elect, were saying if we elect you and you make a promise, e.g. to Leave the EU, woe betide if you break it and betray us.

If I were younger and circumstances were different I can easily envisage being politically involved despite antipathy toward ALL the parties at this time. As for now, in my dotage etc., I am happy to watch and pray, and especially “Thy will be done”, yet not having the temerity to always being able to say what that will is. I am reminded (as above) of one of the verses in the Bible that is remotely political and, while stopping short of telling me how to vote (an alien concept anyway in Bible times), tells me of one thing I should do – pray for those in authority, and why – so we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. The more I think about it, the more I realise my main consideration is to preach the gospel and for Kingdom values to come to the fore (what that entails is debateable to be sure). I have gone out on a limb by saying God has raised up Donald Trump in the USA for such a time as this and I will continue to do so by saying the same about Boris Johnson in the UK, even though my confidence is not in those two men but in God.

I take Bible prophecy seriously and, while trying to avoid the temptation of speculatively equating goings on in the World to unfulfilled prophecy, I cannot avoid seeing the Election result as part of the bigger picture emerging, starting with a move away from globalism and progressivism and toward nationalism and popularism. While the latter two concepts are not without flaw, I think we are seeing that tendency globally, and the first concrete example as far as the UK goes will be when we withdraw from the EU by the end of next month. I see this as a positive – my spirit has been lifted by that prospect, notwithstanding flaws in the “Boris Withdrawal Agreement”, and I feel confidence that the gospel can be preached more boldly and respected now than if the result had been different. But it comes with a further caveat. Jesus is coming again soon, but before that there will be the 7-year reign of the AntiChrist and that will be linked to a rise in globalism and progressivism, suggesting that we have had a reprieve. That is how I see it but it is not something I would want to fall out over with others who are theologically minded. But what I do think and what I would urge readers to remember are the words of Jesus. If we are following Him as we should, we should do as He did, and work while it is yet day…