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 …
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Myanmar Coup – One Year Anniversary
A Brutal Year Smoke and flames billow from abandoned vehicles on the roadside of Kayah State, Myanmar. Shells of burnt-out cars are strewn across the road. Charred bodies lay on the floor. Thirty-five people have been killed, including women, children and charity workers. These were the bleak …
“We affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
On Monday, Russia, United States, China, UK and France came together to state that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. The ‘Reagan Gorbachev principle’, as it has become known, may seem to be a fairly obvious truth. But this is the first time that these five nuclear weapons …
JPIT’s Review of 2021
2021 has brought more unexpected twists and turns. As it rolls to a close, the JPIT staff reflect on the things which brought them some joy this year (and offer some recommendations!). Wishing you a joyful and peaceful Christmas, from all at the Joint Public Issues Team. Roo Favourite read: The …
Excrescences and Performative Cruelty
The former Welfare Reform minster has described two of his own policies as “excrescences” that were made into law because they were popular. The phrase “Performative Cruelty” has been used to describe such policies and most recently in describing the treatment of refugees. Here Paul asks if or when …
The cost of a decent life
As I write Christmas is only 21 sleeps away! I’m not too stressed about Christmas; I have already bought my train ticket home and I have had some good ideas about presents that I am going to buy members of my family. But for millions of families with low incomes, the cost of presents, Christmas food …
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 …
Responding to the Budget
On Wednesday 27th October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced the Autumn Budget in the House of Commons. It’s hard to ground Budget statements in everyday reality – not least because different people and different political parties see reality very differently. At other times, …
Introducing Dave
It is a privilege to join the Joint Public Issues Team as interim Methodist Team Leader and Deputy JPIT Team Leader. I am a Methodist Presbyter who has served city-centre, inner city & suburban congregations in Manchester and London. I have also worked for Christian Aid as Senior Regional …
Reflections on the death of Sir David Amess
As a child, I used to sneak off into my Dad’s wardrobe and put on his ties. Formal wear adorned, I would address my teddies at a fantasy party conference. I used to learn extracts from historic political speeches and, in my best impression of 20th Century Prime Ministers, recite them (Neville …