This briefing was produced by the Joint Public Issues Team of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches in January 2026. Read Paul Morrison's blog response to the Strategy here. …
briefing
COP30, Belém, Brazil (10–21 November 2025)
COP30 is the 'Implementation COP', it is a summit at which we hope that world leaders will move from pledges to action. Key areas of discussion centre around six themes: 1. Mitigation – Reducing greenhouse gas emissions2. Adaptation – Building resilience to climate impacts3. Finance – Mobilising …
Ukraine
Ukraine - Four Years On The 24th February 2026 marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Many churches have received Ukrainian families who have sought protection in the UK. Others raised funds for support of families suffering the conflict in Ukraine. We are privileged to …
Briefing on the ‘Mini Budget’ for the Enough to Live group
26th September 2022 The big question we asked of the 23 September budget[1] was that it should provide people with enough to live this winter. Prior to the budget, Prof Donald Hirsh calculated that after considering the Energy Price Guarantee and other payments, an average family of four …
The Cost of Living Crisis
In 2022, the cost of living is of major concern for many. Rising prices in food, fuel and transport are forcing people to make hard choices over how they spend their money. The least well-off are the worst affected, with those choices being narrowed to heating or eating, or skipping meals to feed …
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 …
COP26 – what was achieved?
COP26 was the most significant climate summit since Paris in 2015. The measures outlined in the COP26 Glasgow Climate Pact are critical if we are to set a course to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees. Members of churches, in the UK and further afield, have been campaigning in advance of COP26 …
Mental health and suicide briefing
Updated March 2021by David Bradwell Background Good mental health is a fundamental part of individual, communal and societal wellbeing. In the UK, mental health disorders account for almost a quarter of the total burden of ill health. There is a well-documented burden of mental health …
Constitution and independence referendum briefing
Updated March 2021by David Bradwell Background The issue of Scottish independence or continued union within the UK continues to be the major fault line in Scottish politics. The months and weeks building up to the election in May appear already to be dominated by the political parties …
Migration, asylum and refugee issues briefing
Updated March 2021by David Bradwell Background Scotland’s population is now estimated to be around 5.4 million people, the highest level ever. Driving the growth has been the contribution of inward migration to Scotland especially over the last 20 years. According to the most recent …