George Hargreaves (politician)
Encyclopedia
James George Hargreaves known as George Hargreaves or J. G. Hargreaves, is a religious minister, political campaign
er, leader of the Christian Party (UK), and former music producer and songwriter
.
. He has said that as a child his life was saved by a firefighter
who rescued him from his burning house. He was educated at King's College London
, the University of Oxford
, and at the University of St Andrews
.
, a boarding school
owned by the Inner London Education Authority
. While still at school, he formed a band named "Snap" with Tony Ajai-Ajagbe. The duo were signed by a local studio and released a single in 1974, but were dropped when it proved unsuccessful. They were later employed as songwriters by Jobete Music, and Hargreaves moved in to producing.
In the 1980s, Hargreaves and Ajai-Ajagbe worked at Magnet Records
. They wrote the theme tune for Pebble Mill At One
and Hargreaves promoted pop acts including Sinitta, Yazz
and Five Star
. He also wrote and produced several disco
records for Sinitta, including "So Macho
" and "Cruising
", which were popular in the gay community. He told Scotland on Sunday
that "So Macho" was intended "...for women to dance round their handbags to and for the gay scene to go mad to on poppers" and that "I was never gay, but I had a lot of lovely friends in the gay scene."
as a tax exile
. While living there, he decided to devote his life to Christianity
. He became a Pentecostal minister and obtained a Post-graduate Diploma in Theology
and a Master’s degree in Anthropology
from the University of Oxford
.
At the 1997 general election
, Hargreaves stood as the Referendum Party
candidate for Walthamstow
. In 2002, he was a founder member of the Christian Peoples Alliance
(CPA) and served as Acting Chair of its Hackney
branch.
In 2004, Hargreaves was a founder of the East London Christian Choir School in Hackney, an independent school which used the Accelerated Christian Education
programme. In the same year, he founded Operation Christian Vote as an alternative to the CPA. The party stood in every British region at the European election, 2004, focussing its campaign on opposition to abortion
.
Hargreaves then stood for the party at the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election, 2004, where he took only 90 votes. He fared better at the 2005 general election
in Na h-Eileanan an Iar
, where he took 7.6% of the votes cast and beat the Conservative Party
candidate. Hargreaves was also involved with Christian Voice
.
In 2006, Hargreaves formed the Scottish Christian Party
, for which he stood in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, 2006
, taking 1.2% of the vote.
The Scottish Christian Party regards homosexuality
as a sin and campaigns against gay activism. Hargreaves personally funded the industrial tribunals of nine firefighters who were suspended after refusing to distribute leaflets at a gay pride
march. He was involved in protests against Jerry Springer: The Opera
, claiming that "Jerry Springer proved the greatest rallying point for Christian activism in the past 10 years". The party had many other policies, including a proposal that Scottish criminals should be placed in jails in developing countries.
The Scottish Christian Party put up candidates in every region in the Scottish Parliament election, 2007
. Hargreaves' movement was regarded by the rival Christian People's Alliance as a Pentecostal movement. At the election, he headed the party's list in the Glasgow electoral region
, aiming in particular to unseat openly bisexual Scottish Green Party
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Patrick Harvie
. Harvie had recently asked the police to investigate allegedly homophobic comments by the Archbishop of Glasgow
and was described by Hargreaves as a "gay fundamentalist".
Hargreaves also founded the Welsh Christian Party to contest the Welsh Assembly election, 2007, at which he campaigned to remove the dragon
symbol from the Welsh flag, claiming that it was "nothing less than the sign of Satan".
Hargreaves stood for the Christian Party at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
, where he asked the Haltemprice and Howden electorate to use their vote to demand a referendum on the European Union
, which he believes is the greatest threat to our civil liberties". He received 76 votes, coming 16th out of 26 candidates.
In August 2008, Hargreaves fronted the Channel 4 programme Make Me a Christian. He has been strongly criticised by many, including the magazine New Humanist, Charlie Brooker
and Lucy Bannerman of the Herald.
He had planned to stand in the Western Isles
in the 2010 general election, but withdrew his candidacy in February 2010 after his wife's cancer returned.
However, he stood as a candidate for Barking
in the 2010 General Election and even shared a debate with Nick Griffin
on Genesis TV.
Scottish Parliament elections (Electoral Additional Region)
European Parliament elections
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
er, leader of the Christian Party (UK), and former music producer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Early life
Hargreaves grew up in IslingtonIslington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
. He has said that as a child his life was saved by a firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
who rescued him from his burning house. He was educated at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and at the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
.
Musical career
Hargreaves attended Woolverstone HallWoolverstone Hall
Woolverstone Hall is a large country house, now in use as a school located south of the centre of Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It is set in on the banks of the River Orwell. Built in 1776 for William Berners by the architect John Johnson of Leicestershire, it is one of the finest examples of...
, a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
owned by the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
. While still at school, he formed a band named "Snap" with Tony Ajai-Ajagbe. The duo were signed by a local studio and released a single in 1974, but were dropped when it proved unsuccessful. They were later employed as songwriters by Jobete Music, and Hargreaves moved in to producing.
In the 1980s, Hargreaves and Ajai-Ajagbe worked at Magnet Records
Magnet Records
Magnet Records was a record label started in 1973 by Michael Levy and acquired by Warner Bros. Records in 1988 for an estimated £10m.Artists on the label included Alvin Stardust, Matchbox, Adrian Baker, Silver Convention, Guys 'n' Dolls, Darts, Kissing the Pink, Bad Manners, David D'Or, Blue Zoo...
. They wrote the theme tune for Pebble Mill At One
Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
and Hargreaves promoted pop acts including Sinitta, Yazz
Yazz
Yazz is a British pop singer, who remains best known for her successful 1988 dance track, "The Only Way Is Up". Some of her records were credited to Yazz & The Plastic Population...
and Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
. He also wrote and produced several disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
records for Sinitta, including "So Macho
So Macho
"So Macho" is a pop song by American singer Sinitta. The song was released in 1985 as her self-titled debut album's second single.-Song information:...
" and "Cruising
Cruising (song)
"Cruising" is a Pop song by American singer Sinitta. The song was released in 1984 as the first single from Sinitta's debut album Sinitta! . It was written by James George Hargreaves and produced by James George Hargreaves and Mick Parker. "Cruising" was re-recorded in 1999 and included on her...
", which were popular in the gay community. He told Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by The Scotsman Publications Ltd and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate The Scotsman...
that "So Macho" was intended "...for women to dance round their handbags to and for the gay scene to go mad to on poppers" and that "I was never gay, but I had a lot of lovely friends in the gay scene."
Religious and political activities
Hargreaves later worked as a DJ before moving to the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
as a tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
. While living there, he decided to devote his life to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. He became a Pentecostal minister and obtained a Post-graduate Diploma in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and a Master’s degree in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
At the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, Hargreaves stood as the Referendum Party
Referendum Party
The Referendum Party was a Euro-sceptic, single issue party in the United Kingdom formed by Sir James Goldsmith to fight the 1997 General Election. The party called for a referendum on aspects of the UK's relationship with the European Union.-Policy:...
candidate for Walthamstow
Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency)
Walthamstow is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- 1885–1918 :...
. In 2002, he was a founder member of the Christian Peoples Alliance
Christian Peoples Alliance
The Christian Peoples Alliance is a Christian democratic political party in the United Kingdom. Founded in its present form in 1999; it grew out of a cross-party advocacy group known as the Movement for Christian Democracy. The party is active throughout England and has fledgling groups specific...
(CPA) and served as Acting Chair of its Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
branch.
In 2004, Hargreaves was a founder of the East London Christian Choir School in Hackney, an independent school which used the Accelerated Christian Education
Accelerated Christian Education
Accelerated Christian Education is an American educational products company which produces the Accelerated Christian Education school curriculum. The home office is in Nashville, Tennessee, with a customer service and distribution center in Lewisville, Texas. According to a study, by 1980 there...
programme. In the same year, he founded Operation Christian Vote as an alternative to the CPA. The party stood in every British region at the European election, 2004, focussing its campaign on opposition to abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
Hargreaves then stood for the party at the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election, 2004, where he took only 90 votes. He fared better at the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
in Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)
Na h-Eileanan an Iar is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created in 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
, where he took 7.6% of the votes cast and beat the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate. Hargreaves was also involved with Christian Voice
Christian Voice (UK)
Christian Voice is a Christian pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its stated objective is "to uphold Christianity as the Faith of the United Kingdom, to be a voice for Biblical values in law and public policy, and to defend and support traditional family life." It is independent of...
.
In 2006, Hargreaves formed the Scottish Christian Party
Scottish Christian Party
The Christian Party, also called the Scottish Christian Party and Welsh Christian Party, is a minor political organisation in Great Britain. Its leader is the Reverend George Hargreaves.-Operation Christian Vote:...
, for which he stood in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, 2006
Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, 2006
The Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, in Dunfermline and West Fife, Scotland, was held on 9 February 2006 following the death of sitting Labour MP Rachel Squire on 6 January. The by-election was the first seat to change hands in the 2005 Parliament when Willie Rennie won the seat for the...
, taking 1.2% of the vote.
The Scottish Christian Party regards homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
as a sin and campaigns against gay activism. Hargreaves personally funded the industrial tribunals of nine firefighters who were suspended after refusing to distribute leaflets at a gay pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
march. He was involved in protests against Jerry Springer: The Opera
Jerry Springer: The Opera
Jerry Springer: The Opera is a British musical written by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, based on the television show The Jerry Springer Show. The musical is notable for its profanity, its irreverent treatment of Judeo-Christian themes, and surreal images such as a troupe of tap-dancing Ku Klux...
, claiming that "Jerry Springer proved the greatest rallying point for Christian activism in the past 10 years". The party had many other policies, including a proposal that Scottish criminals should be placed in jails in developing countries.
The Scottish Christian Party put up candidates in every region in the Scottish Parliament election, 2007
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
. Hargreaves' movement was regarded by the rival Christian People's Alliance as a Pentecostal movement. At the election, he headed the party's list in the Glasgow electoral region
Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Glasgow is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament , which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, aiming in particular to unseat openly bisexual Scottish Green Party
Scottish Green Party
The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:...
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie is the co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region...
. Harvie had recently asked the police to investigate allegedly homophobic comments by the Archbishop of Glasgow
Archbishop of Glasgow
The Bishop of Glasgow, from 1492 Archbishop of Glasgow, was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Glasgow and then, as Archbishop of Glasgow, the Archdiocese of Glasgow...
and was described by Hargreaves as a "gay fundamentalist".
Hargreaves also founded the Welsh Christian Party to contest the Welsh Assembly election, 2007, at which he campaigned to remove the dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
symbol from the Welsh flag, claiming that it was "nothing less than the sign of Satan".
Hargreaves stood for the Christian Party at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008
The 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election was a by-election held in the United Kingdom on 10 July 2008 to elect a new Member of Parliament for constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
, where he asked the Haltemprice and Howden electorate to use their vote to demand a referendum on the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, which he believes is the greatest threat to our civil liberties". He received 76 votes, coming 16th out of 26 candidates.
In August 2008, Hargreaves fronted the Channel 4 programme Make Me a Christian. He has been strongly criticised by many, including the magazine New Humanist, Charlie Brooker
Charlie Brooker
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
and Lucy Bannerman of the Herald.
He had planned to stand in the Western Isles
Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)
Na h-Eileanan an Iar is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created in 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
in the 2010 general election, but withdrew his candidacy in February 2010 after his wife's cancer returned.
However, he stood as a candidate for Barking
Barking (UK Parliament constituency)
Barking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It has elected Labour MPs since its creation in 1945, usually with strong majorities.- Boundaries :The...
in the 2010 General Election and even shared a debate with Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
on Genesis TV.
Elections contested
UK Parliament elections| Date of election | Constituency | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Walthamstow Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency) Walthamstow is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- 1885–1918 :... |
RP Referendum Party The Referendum Party was a Euro-sceptic, single issue party in the United Kingdom formed by Sir James Goldsmith to fight the 1997 General Election. The party called for a referendum on aspects of the UK's relationship with the European Union.-Policy:... |
1,139 | 2.8 |
| 2004 | Birmingham Hodge Hill | OCV | 90 | 0.4 |
| 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Na h-Eileanan an Iar Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency) Na h-Eileanan an Iar is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created in 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :... |
OCV | 1,048 | 7.6 |
| 2006 Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, 2006 The Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, in Dunfermline and West Fife, Scotland, was held on 9 February 2006 following the death of sitting Labour MP Rachel Squire on 6 January. The by-election was the first seat to change hands in the 2005 Parliament when Willie Rennie won the seat for the... |
Dunfermline and West Fife Dunfermline and West Fife (UK Parliament constituency) Dunfermline and West Fife is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 2005 general election from all of the old Dunfermline West and parts of the old Dunfermline East constituencies... |
CP | 411 | 1.2 |
| 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008 The 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election was a by-election held in the United Kingdom on 10 July 2008 to elect a new Member of Parliament for constituency of Haltemprice and Howden... |
Haltemprice and Howden | CP | 76 | 0.3 |
| 2010 | Barking Barking (UK Parliament constituency) Barking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It has elected Labour MPs since its creation in 1945, usually with strong majorities.- Boundaries :The... |
CP | 482 | 1.1 |
Scottish Parliament elections (Electoral Additional Region)
| Date of election | Region | Party | Votes | % | Results | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Scottish Parliament election, 2007 The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999... |
Glasgow Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region) Glasgow is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament , which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
CP | 2,991 | 1.4 | Not elected | Multi-member region; party list |
European Parliament elections
| Date of election | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Results | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Scotland Scotland (European Parliament constituency) Scotland constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :... |
OCV | 21,056 | 1.7 | Not-elected | Multi-member constituencies; party lists |
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
London London (European Parliament constituency) London is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :The constituency corresponds to Greater London, in the south east of the United Kingdom.... |
CP | 51,336 | 2.9 | Not elected | Multi-member constituencies; party list |