Question ... 'A hundred new faith schools coming on line in the next 2 years. Good thing or bad thing?'

Christopher said ... 'I am not in favour of faith schools. First, I think that education and religion should be kept separate. I believe in a secular state so state funded education should be free from any religious input whether that be Muslim, Catholic or C of E. I believe that parents should have the basic human right to have their children brought up in a particular faith (at some point this should be the choice of the child not the parent). Faith schools should not receive state funding or tax concessions. ' [Report Post]

Question ... 'How would you stop the rampant fraud and corruption in Britain?'

Christopher said ... 'I assume this is a question about corruption in public life. I think the office of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner should be strengthened. The case of Mrs Elizabeth Filkin is a clear lesson in this regard. Her investigations were obstructed at every turn by some of the MPs she was looking into. On the issue of party funding I believe that parties should not get state aid. Their accounts should be transparent. It would help if they didn't spend so much money buying expensive poster sites. ' [Report Post]

Question ... 'Hi Do you think MPs should get an extra £24,000 per year to fund a second home? '

Christopher said ... 'Certainly not. In order to restore a measure of public confidence in our political system the government should buy flats or houses for the use of MPs. These should be adequate but fairly modest. Most MPs work very long hours and should be properly accommodated. When an MP resigns or is defeated at election he or she should be asked to give up the flat quickly. After all this is what we ask of Prime Ministers when they leave office. ' [Report Post]

Question ... 'I actually live miles away and can not vote in this election but you make a great deal of sense - I have to agree with all of your points above, However, you state that we have to make a more equal society and reduce the gap between rich and poor - What is your stance on the current democratic gap in the UK where England is the only country without a parliament, elderly in England have to sell their homes to get health care which is free to those in Scotland. The welsh now get free prescriptions whilst those in England have to pay - The English have the least Bank holidays of all the countries of the UK, The Barnett formula etc etc I could go on forever about the current inequalities which we in England currently pay for but are excluded from - What are your views? '

Christopher said ... 'I think that the class inequalities in the UK as a whole are more important than the regional inequalities produced by the Barnett Formula. We urgently need to get to grips with the huge divide between the rich and poor in the UK. I am aware that various proposals have been advanced to deal with the so-called West Lothian question which allows Scottish MPs to vote on matters which only affect England. I am not yet convinced of the desirability of an English Parliament. This would probably hasten the breakup of the UK into its constituent countries, to the detriment of all. We already have many tiers of government: local, regional, UK and European. I would be loath to add another layer. I agree that there is an anomaly at present concerning provision of social (not nursing) care for the elderly. I would campaign for comprehensive social care for our senior citizens but we all need to understand that this is expensive and we all have to pay for it through increased taxes. That's probably not a popular message but I think that, as a nation, we have to accept that you get what you pay for. If we want decent services we have to pay for them.' [Report Post]

Question ... 'I wish you all well and thank you for using your right to stand as a candidate. Who ever wins can you push for the dealth penalty please. Or at least allow the population the right to a referendum on the death penalty. If you need a hangman I would be willing as this would cut the prison population by a thrid and save money. '

Christopher said ... 'I do not support the death penalty. My reasons are as follows:- 1. I spent 16 years as a prosecutor in the CPS. The criminal justice system, like any other system operated by human beings can make mistakes. Pieces of evidence can be missed which may exonerate the defendant. Sometimes judges make errors in explaining the law to juries. When these factors come to light, sometimes months or years after a defendant is convicted, an appeal can be heard and mistakes can to some extent be put right. ' [Report Post]

Question ... 'Do you agree with the current policy of involuntary euthanasia of the elderly (ie elder genocide) to save resources better used to maintain the working population? If you don't, what measures would you take to safeguard the elders? '

Christopher said ... 'I am very far from sure that any such policy exists. I am certainly against involuntary euthanasia. An elderly person of my acquaintance was recently taken very ill. It seemed to me that the care she received from NHS doctors, nurses and orderly staff was of a very high standard.' [Report Post]

Question ... 'You sound totally in tune with the thinking of the Green Party- why havn't you joined them? And, more to the point- why are you standing against them??'

Christopher said ... 'I have lots of friends in the Green Party and have huge admiration for them. I would be a Green Party member but for one major stumbling block - their policy on immigration. They are in favour of removing barriers to immigration into the UK. This is a completely respectable position to take but the government now estimates that by 2031 the UK population will have increased to 70 million. My question is where will we all live? I believe that too much of the English countryside has already been lost to so called development. Having to accommodate another 10 million people will place unacceptable pressure on the countryside and the necessary infrastructure. I know the Greens believe that there will be less pressure to migrate if the world was a fairer place. That may be true (though I doubt it) but how much damage will have been done before we can bring about a more just world?' [Report Post]