As leader of the Joint Public Issues Team, Rachel Lampard calls the Church to a new song of opposition against increased antisemitism. Friends of mine, who I didn’t even realise were Jewish, told me last year how worried they were about the antisemitism being stirred up in politics. Then an …
Brexit: more scrutiny not less
Coming to work this morning, I passed eight bodies huddled in doorways, homeless people bedded down with sleeping bags and blankets. One of them had laid yesterday’s newspapers under him. The front page headline showed Prince Andrew, with a much smaller sidebar about Prime Minister’s decision to …
Welcoming all: a view from Malta
Having spent years talking about and visiting foodbanks, I didn’t imagine that the first time I would work in one it would be in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Malta is a popular holiday destination for many British people. But its place in the middle of the Mediterranean means that it has …
“Prayer is a Revolutionary Act”
Rachel Lampard reports back from the Labour Party Conference, 22nd - 25th September 2018: “Bring biscuits!” This was one of the new Ten Commandments drawn up by Christians on the Left and launched at last week’s Labour Party conference. These commandments, though light-hearted, were conceived …
The starless midnight of Gaza – praying for peace
On the 15th day of every month Methodists around Britain and Ireland pray with Christians in the Middle East. Today I held my Methodist prayer handbook alongside my newsfeed, and I almost wept. Two weeks ago I was in Israel and Palestine, and as I prayed I pictured the people I met. With the …
Three generations of women and the vote
This photo was taken in 2014 at a march held to commemorate a suffragette rally that took place in Walthamstow, east London, in 1910. This is my mother, my daughter and me, three generations marching together for equality and to honour the women (and men) who fought for the vote for all. So as …
Gambling – a chance to have your say
Ever since I’ve been working on policies around preventing harm from gambling, I’ve been amazed at the number of people who tell me, privately, at parties, at church, in lifts, that yes, they had a friend/boyfriend/parent who had problems with gambling. Problem gambling is often a hidden problem, …
Conversation and Conservatives
This month we have a delegation of church leaders attending each of the four biggest party conferences, alongside The Salvation Army and Quakers in Britain. We have already been to the Labour and Lib Dem conferences. This week: the Conservative Party Whilst the media coverage of party conferences …
Being peacemakers in a nuclear age
Nuclear weapons have been back in the news again. In the final few days before his inauguration, President Trump appeared first to challenge Russia to an arms race before then using nuclear weapons as bargaining chips in the ongoing debate over sanctions against Russia. In a climate where there is …
We are made for goodness
The world feels a bit more fragile today. The news of the murder of Jo Cox MP, coming after the massacre at the gay club in Orlando, feels like a body blow. Jo Cox was about my age, with children slightly younger than mine. Friends of mine knew her. She was obviously a much admired MP, …