Veteran Peace Campaigner to Stand Again

Published on: 1 Jun, 2024
Updated on: 4 Jun, 2024

John Morris

John Morris is a determined peace campaigner. His sense of purpose is evidenced by his participation in all six of the General Elections over the last 30 years and many local elections too.

The Dragon thought it was worth finding out a bit more from one of Guildford’s most experienced political campaigners and posed a few questions…

1. How many elections have you stood in by type, General, County Council, and Borough Council?

I have lost count but know that I have stood in a variety of elections in Guildford since I first contested the general election in 1997. In several of the borough and county elections other members of the Peace Party stood as well as me.

2. Have you ever saved your deposit in General Elections? Who pays your deposit?

Regrettably, I have never saved my deposit in the general elections. However, the Peace Party candidate in the Middlesbrough by-election some years ago did retain his deposit. The deposits are always paid by the party.

3. Why doesn’t your inability, so far, to attract more votes put you off?

I believe that the vote for the Peace Party does not vary widely from one general election to another because many members of the electorate wish to support a candidate who stands a greater chance of being elected to Parliament than myself.

483 Guildford voters supported John at the 2019 General Election – Wikipedia. Candidates who do not obtain five per cent of the votes cast lose their £500 deposit, which goes to the Treasury’s Consolidated Fund.

4. I thought you told me that before the last election, you had promised your wife you would not stand again. What happened?

How can I not stand up for peace when other parties are standing for militarism and preparing for violence, fear and war and millions depend on food banks and have to wait to be treated by the NHS? The country needs happiness, peace and well-being – I hope that will be my message to the electorate again.

I find myself unable to place a cross against any of the other candidates because of their party’s stand on the issue of War and their response to it.

The only person I would be able to support is one who is against all war and militarism. That candidate would spend money only on developing the alternatives to the violent resolution of conflict, who would work to take the country out of NATO and other military alliances, who would work to abolish all armed forces and who would make the UK a fiercely neutral nation.

I would expect my candidate never to wish to take the life of any other human being, neither would she or he wish anyone to take such a life on my behalf. I believe my wife understands this and supports me just as I support her in whatever she wants to do.

5. Please say a bit about your background. I know you are a Quaker. Am I right in thinking you were a teacher?

You are correct in thinking that I was once a teacher in secondary education. After 13 years, I moved into school examination administration and after that into adult education administration and teaching.

I do find deep spiritual sustenance in my membership of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers); we are sometimes referred to as a “Peace Church” from the following of our Peace Testimony.

The Dragon has arranged to interview all the known Guildford candidates in the forthcoming General Election. Apart from John Morris, those known are listed below.

The Dragon has also arranged a Question Time style hustings on June 6th . Click here for more information.