Monday 21 NovemberThe Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church. While we are extremely conscious of the cost-of-living crisis and the economic bearing it is having here in the UK, we cannot ignore the tremendous impact of climate change in other parts of …
Politics and Elections
“He has filled the hungry with good things” – What we need from the Autumn Budget
Last week, the Trussell Trust revealed that their 1,300 foodbanks across the UK gave out 1.3 million emergency food parcels between 1 April and 30 September 2022. This marks a rise of over 50% from pre-pandemic levels, more than ever seen before. Wave after wave of crisis has driven 320,000 people …
What are the stories we should tell about the humanitarian crisis at Manston Airport Asylum centre?
The Prison Officers Association described Manston Airport processing centre as “A humanitarian crisis on British soil”. The Government has admitted that its treatment of asylum seekers at Manston was not “legally compliant”. The pictures and stories we are seeing are appalling and angering in …
Churches respond to risk to benefit levels
The Methodist Church in Britain, the United Reformed Church and the Baptist Union of Great Britain respond to the proposal to limit the uprating of benefits, risking a real terms cut to benefit levels: The social security system should prevent families from being pushed into hardship, yet …
Tax and the cost of living
The Conservative Party is choosing a new leader, who will become the UK’s next Prime Minister. One of the key issues throughout the campaign has been tax cuts. All the candidates – including Sunak and Truss who remain in the contest – wish to cut taxes. The only differences between candidate have …
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill – An Update
Last week, as Monday night drifted into the early hours of Tuesday morning, the latest version of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was approved by MPs. This means the fraught and contested passage of this controversial Bill will continue, as it returns to the House of Lords. The …
Response to COP26
Statement from the Baptist Union of Great Britain, The Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church on the conclusion of the Glasgow COP26 summit – 14 November 2021 Significant new statements have been made at the summit in Glasgow. Most government delegations accept that the sense of urgency is …
What can we expect from COP26 in Glasgow?
Make no mistake - COP26 matters a lot. As the UN Secretary General has said “The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk. Global heating …
Power and protest
Church leaders have joined representatives of hundreds of civil society organisations to express concern about government proposals to restrict protest and increase police powers. As consideration of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill begins in the House of Lords, they have written …
Reset The Debt in Parliament
This blog is written by Paul Morrison of the Joint Public Issues Team. Well over a thousand supporters of the Reset the Debt campaign wrote to their MPs to ask them to attend the debate on household debt in Parliament on 8 May. Thank you! The debate attracted a range of MPs from …