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Murdo Fraser MSP to chair Scottish Conservative and Churches Forum
February 2002
by Cameron Watt, CCF Deputy Director
published in ccfwebsite.com
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Murdo Fraser MSP will chair the meeting. Its members are listed below. The Forum was launched at Easterhouse Baptist Church by Iain Duncan Smith on 1st February with these words:
"All over Britain churches make a massive contribution to the care and welfare of people and communities in need. Nowhere is this more true than in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland and the Archdiocese of Glasgow are the largest suppliers of social care after the state.
And in hard-pressed communities such as Easterhouse I have seen for myself the range of life-changing services provided by Christian people who are seeking to serve their neighbours.
It is important that political parties learn from the wealth of experience that faith-inspired organisations have gained by the practical application of their faith to the needs of people who have not shared in the opportunities enjoyed by others.
I am grateful to the men and women from Scotland's churches who have agreed to serve on the new Scottish Conservative and Churches' Forum.
These people are not necessarily Conservative supporters but have offered to help the Conservative Party in its honest search for new ways of addressing social challenges and in the healing of broken communities.
Over the next few years I hope that the Forum will explore important issues of community renewal, bioethics and international development.
David McLetchie has appointed Murdo Fraser MSP to chair the Forum and I look forward to keeping in touch with its work.
Murdo and other Conservative members of the Scottish Parliament are also holding consultations with representatives of other faith communities as we endeavour to understand their perspectives on the challenges facing Scotland."
Jeremy Balfour is the parliamentary officer of the Evangelical Alliance in the Scottish Parliament. The Evangelical Alliance encourages and co-ordinates prayer, social action and evangelism amongst member churches. Jeremy stood as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Fife Central in the 2001 General Election.
George Chalmers is a retired doctor who spent 40 years as a specialist in geriatric medicine. He is particularly keen to protect and promote the interests of the ill and disabled. Dr Chalmers is President of the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics. He also serves on the executive of the Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility and on the executive of the Christian Medical Fellowship.
John Deighan has been the parliamentary officer for the Roman Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland for the last three years. Previously Mr Deighan worked as a computing lecturer. In public policy, he is most concerned with upholding and supporting family life. Mr Deighan is married with five children.
Richard Durno is the minister of the John Ross Memorial Church for Deaf People, a Church of Scotland congregation in Scotland. He travels hundreds of miles each month ministering to the needs of deaf people in the west of Scotland. Previously Mr Durno worked as a social worker. He is a Conservative voter.
Rose Docherty is the development officer for Cardinal Winning's Pro-Life Initiative in Glasgow that offers young women an alternative to abortion. Emotional, financial and other practical support is provided during and after pregnancy. Mrs Docherty advocates a 'new feminism' affirming marriage, family and the sanctity of life.
Katie Grant is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to The Scotsman and Scottish Daily Mail. She occasionally writes for a number of other publications including The Spectator. A Conservative Party member, Katie is one of the most articulate commentators north of the border.
Matthew Hall and his wife Diane live on the Easterhouse estate in Glasgow. Both work for FARE (Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse), the community project that the Leader is visiting. Their work is focused on running FARE's many youth clubs. Previously Matt worked for Care Force, a Christian charity working in some of the most deprived areas of Britain. The couple has just had their first child, a son named Caleb.
Mary Kearns is the Chair of the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics. A solicitor-advocate specialising in civil litigation by profession, Mary has been at the forefront of efforts to protect the elderly from euthanasia being introduced in Scotland through Scottish Parliament legislation. She is currently bringing up a young family.
David Kellock is the Deputy Director (Operations) of the Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility. The Board is the largest voluntary social work agency in Scotland and second largest provider of care after the state, employing over 1600 people.
Related links
Overview of the UK-wide Listening to Britain's Churches process
Murdo Fraser answers the CCF's Quick Questionnaire
More about CCF Scotland
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