Globalisation:Centre for Social Justice: Philippa Stroud

Philippa Stroud, 45

Philippa Stroud

Philippa Claire Stroud, born in Devon 2nd April 1965, is the co-founder and former Executive Director of Globalisation: Centre for Social Justice. She has spent over seventeen years in various poverty fighting projects such as The King's Arm Project and The Bridge Project; working to better communities and address deep rooted problems within society in order to do so. Staunch conservative, the Daily Telegraph ranked Stroud as the 82nd most influential right-winger in UK politics ahead of then leader of the party Michael Howard. In recent years she has seemingly been less associated with the organisation following being held at the centre of a storm of controversy. As a devoted Christian Stroud’s work has always had a strong religious base and some of her conventional views have been criticised in the past. In 1999 Stroud along with Christine Leonard co-wrote a book on social injustice called God's Heart for the Poor. Stroud was held to account in the public eye after allegedly suggesting that homosexuality was deviant behaviour with references to demonic possession, allegations infered by an article in the Observer. "I make no apology for being a committed Christian. However, it is categorically untrue that I believe homosexuality to be an illness and I am deeply offended that The Observer has suggested otherwise. I have spent 20 years working with disturbed people who society have turned their back on and are not often supported by state agencies; drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally ill and the homeless that I and my charitable friends in the public sector have tried to help over the years. The idea that I am prejudiced against gay people is both false and insulting." 'She disputes the testimonies contained in the article and states that she has helped individuals of all sexual orientations to deal with a multitude of problems such as drug addiction, self-harming, alcoholism, eating disorders, and sexual abuse through prayer as well as offering practical help and advice. She also says that she has never founded a church, let alone a church that tried to 'cure' homosexuals. She has never prayed or advised any person to change his or her sexuality and has never countenanced any person for whom she has had responsibility attempting to question any person's sexual orientation or to re-orient them. In addition, the reference to demonic activity in her book "God's help for the poor' does not relate to sexual orientation but to those who have been involved in occult practices, including violence and sexual abuse.'

This was not the only example of the CSJ being at the centre of gay rights controversy with 'Family Matters' and 'Father Not Included' reports issued stating that lesbians undergoing fertility treatment should not be able to automatically record a civil partner as a second parent but as a 'special guardian' instead. Ian Duncan Smith proposed an amendment to 'retain the requirement for doctors to consider the need for a father when assessing women for fertility treatment.' .This was in response to proposed legislation from Gordon Brown to exclude all mention of fathers from the law covering test tube babies in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. The CSJ demands that links be clear to the biological parents of any IVF babies in order to keep links with the nuclear family model warning that 'amid mounting evidence of the damage done by absentee fathers in terms of crime, anti-social behaviour and school failure, now is not the time to send an official message that fathers do not matter'. He then says "It will not make any practical difference to lesbian and gay couples, but if passed it will send a dismissive message about the family and about the importance of fathers in the upbringing of children. We should be including fathers in; not including them out.”

Religion

There is a definate role of Evangelical Christianity in politics and an obvious alliance with elements of the Tory party reflected in the CSJ due to the position of Tory members as key figures within the thinktank. ‘Faith certainly informs some of the Tories’ current thinking. Mr Cameron’s “compassionate conservatism”—with its professed zeal for fighting poverty and reviving civil society—is not merely evocative of Christian ideals in a nebulous sense. It is, to an often underrated degree, driven by Christian individuals and organisations’ .

Ian Duncan Smith was heavily criticized for using the term ‘sin’ in an interview for BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme. Archbishop Cranmer leaped to his defense further instilling the undeniable link between the Tory party and Christianity; “The use of the word 'sin' by a Christian of the sincere conviction and devotion of Iain Duncan Smith does not constitute a slipping of the 'mask of secularisation', for he doesn't wear one. His faith underpins all that he does, all that says and all that motivates him. He has no ambition but to alleviate poverty, and he has made it clear that his faith is integral to everything he does.” . He goes on to say, “The Conservative Party exists to strengthen the family, address the needs of the poor, encourage civil society and value tradition. Historically it has done all this in partnership with the Church of England.”