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 …
briefings
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 …
How I fell out of love with Universal Basic Income
I desperately want to see an end to Universal Credit. Last month I sat with a church member facing threats of eviction from her landlord. Like many people at the moment, work has dried up and she has no income coming in. Her application for Universal Credit has been denied repeatedly. She will get …
European Elections 2019
This European election is unlike any other. The UK Government and many others do not think the election should happen. It could even be cancelled before election day. The people elected may not ever take their seats and, if they do, they may not serve a full term. This election will take …
2 Minute Briefing: Two-Child Rule
11th January 2019 Churches, faith groups and charities are agreed that the two child rule is a terrible policy. It is wrong in principle and its many bad consequences will include pushing around 200,000 children into poverty. Today’s announcement is welcome because, in the short term, 15,000 …
2 Minute Briefing: Will money fix Universal Credit?
Is the Budget enough to save Universal Credit? The budget delivered two tranches of extra money for Universal Credit (UC) - £1.7bn to improve Work Allowances and £1bn to help people moving onto UC from the old system. While the numbers are large they are not sufficient to reverse even the 2015 …