The alliance between the orthodox Christian parties ChristenUnie and the SGP in the European parliament has ended because of the latter’s ban on women playing an active role in politics.

The two Dutch parties have worked together in Europe for 25 years and fought a joint election campaign this year.
The alliance, which won two seats in the European parliament, had hoped to join a new grouping of European Conservative and reformist parties.
But, reports news agency ANP, British Conservatives insisted that the SGP end its opposition to women becoming MPs and party officials.
Biblical principles
Now the ChristenUnie will join the new Conservative alliance and the SGP will go it alone, ANP says.
The SGP believes that the Netherlands should be governed ‘entirely on the basis of the ordinances of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures’ and therefore women should not play an active role in politics. Women have only been allowed to join the party since 2006.
The SGP is also against homosexuality.