On 22nd June, the Today programme contained an interview with Karen Morgan, an economist who advises the Chancellor and is employed by the financial institution JP Morgan. She gave an admirably honest account of the orthodox view of tackling inflation. In the summary clip here, she states that the …
Banning boycotts and divestments – have we not learned anything from South Africa?
The UK Government has just tabled a bill placing restrictions on Local Authorities and universities that is extraordinary in many ways. The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill states that central government (not Local Authorities or their constituents or the governing …
Sanctions don’t work – but they are increasing anyway
Last month, the Department for Work and Pensions released its internal review into the effectiveness of benefit sanctions[1]. To summarise the report – sanctions are not effective. Not only are they ineffective – they are harmful. Previous research shows that removing benefits increases hardship, …
Environment Sunday – Hope in the face of Climate Crisis
A few weeks ago, an estimated more than 60,000 people attended ‘The Big One’, a climate protest organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR). Using different tactics from previous XR protests, the weekend brought together 200 organisations. Representatives from all three of JPIT’s denominations formed …
Response to the Government’s White Paper on Gambling
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church provide the following response to the publication on 27 April of the UK Government’s Gambling White Paper. The Government’s White Paper, High Stakes: Gambling Reform for the …
1450+ church leaders oppose the Illegal Migration Bill
A statement signed by over 1450 church leaders opposing the government’s Illegal Migration Bill has been handed to 10 Downing Street, saying that the government’s proposals are “incompatible with our Christian conviction that all human beings are made in the image of God”. In the statement, …
Local elections: what have they got to do with climate change?
Don’t councils just fix potholes and collect the bins? Why does it matter who is elected? What do they have to do with climate change? On 4th May, 4862 council wards representing over 8000 seats and a handful of mayoralties across England are up for election (Click here to find out if there’s an …
Homes for Ukraine – One Year On
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. More than 8 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their home country due to the war so far, and over 165,000 have been safely resettled in the UK. This is largely due to thousands of households welcoming strangers into their …
Response to the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ – March 2023
Over 1,500 church leaders from across the UK have joined senior Church leaders from JPIT's denominations in a joint statement expressing opposition to the government's new 'Illegal Migration Bill': We are appalled by the proposals in the government’s ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ to detain, punish and …
Ukraine Invasion – One Year On
On the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, our church leaders have made statements on the continuing war and how we can respond. Baptists Together It is with tremendous sorrow that one year on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine there are few signs of the war coming to an end anytime …