As we continue to see the ramifications of last week’s English local and devolved Scottish and Welsh elections, Westminster will – in theory – go back to usual on Wednesday with the state opening of parliament. The King will give a government-written speech laying out their priorities for the next …
Elections
Getting your church election-ready: A webinar guide to hustings, voting and prayer
Getting your Church Election Ready: A guide to hustings, voting and prayer The Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office (SCPO) and the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) hosted this one-hour lunchtime webinar on 29th January 2026 designed to give you all the information you need to get your Church …
Eight million people are excluded from the electoral register. What can we do about it?
The Electoral Commission estimates that eight million people are missing from the electoral register. The people missing are disproportionately those who are young, private renters and from minority ethnic communities. This is because the registration system was designed in a way which makes it …
Getting Political Beyond the Ballot Box
How might Christians and Church communities engage with politics in the months and years after the General Election. Steve Tinning It’s been over 3 months since the UK General Election – a momentous election that saw a dramatic change in the make-up of the Westminster Parliament. For some of …
Can I take my dog to vote?
All you need to know before you vote Election Day is rapidly approaching, with an opportunity for us to cast a vote for who we would like to be our local MP, and therefore have a say in who will be our future government. The outcome of the election will have a significant influence on shaping the …
Dignity For All: Demanding Action to End Poverty this General Election
As Jesus approached the temple in Jerusalem, he had just spent time with Zacchaeus, whose life had been so reordered from his exchange with Jesus that he repaid the money he had cheated through taxation on the poor. In the Gospel of Luke’s ordering of events, it should not be lost on the reader the …
Preparing for the 2024 General Election: Praying and Preaching
“How you doin’?” This famous line from Joey, played by Matt LeBlanc in the late 90s and early 2000s American sitcom Friends, often brings a smile to those who recall the antics that would entail. When we are asked this simple question, our programmed responses are usually, "I’m fine, thanks. How …
MIND THE GAP: Can we build bridges across the political divide?
At the Joint Public Issues Team, we orient our work around six hopes for society, one of which is that politics will be characterised by listening, kindness and truthfulness. Politics has always been a mucky business. However, the 24-hour media cycle, the ability to carry the news around in our …
Churches to champion voter registration
As a General Election approaches, a new initiative has been launched that will equip local churches to increase democratic participation through registering people to vote, providing information about the need to have appropriate photo ID, and encouraging people to vote on polling day. As Voter …
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 …