Homelessness in all its forms is rising in the UK. Around 5,000 people sleep rough in England and Wales each night, more than double the number of 8 years ago. These are just a fraction of those who are homeless; 80,000 families including 120,000 children are in temporary council accommodation, …
“Dangerous and unnecessary” – On Hiroshima Day we highlight the Church of England’s new thinking on nuclear weapons
At a ceremony in Hiroshima this morning the Mayor of Hiroshima, Mr Kazumi Matsui, described the hellish scene of the blast that morning 73 years ago. Recounting the agony of the victims, he told the audience to listen "as if you and your loved ones were there." Sadly the possession of nuclear …
Modern slavery and the hostile environment
This week marked the UN’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons. It also marked the announcement of a welcome review into the legislation intended to protect those trafficked into modern slavery. Modern slavery takes many forms. Victims trafficked into Britain come in search of …
Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, the death penalty and concerns around hypocrisy
It is the longstanding policy of the UK to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. But Parliament this week held an emergency debate following the revelation that the Government has compromised this policy. The government intends to provide evidence for a trial in …
Can we talk about climate change?
Oh! We're having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave The temperature's rising, it isn't surprising... Irving Berlin Climate change is not only a challenge of the future. We are already observing changes in the UK climate, with average temperatures having risen by around 1ºC over the last …
Why are we angry?
Rachel reflects on the Anti-Trump Protests which happened all over the country last week. Last Thursday Madalena, Helen and I went out with 250,000 others to register our anger at the visit of Donald Trump to the United Kingdom. We were not angry that he was here in the UK or that the red carpet …
Brexit: Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Communities
This paper is an information briefing for churches on how Britain’s departure from the European Union might affect farming and fishing communities. Please continue to pray for all those who work in agriculture and fisheries industry as well as the communities who rely on those industries. If you …
Legality vs. morality: the Rohingya crisis continues
The cameras may be gone but the Rohingya crisis rages on. Amid sexual violence, torture and mass murder at the hands of Myanmar’s military, calls for a referral to the International Criminal Court grow. Closer to home, the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee has denounced ‘the …
Church leaders call for an end to the hostile environment
Responding to the news that the government has temporarily suspended some of the data-sharing measures which form part of its ‘hostile environment’ approach to illegal immigration, leaders of the Church of Scotland, Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches issued the following …
Have we been complicit in the hostile environment?
A guest blog by Revd Dr Michael N. Jagessar, Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries at the United Reformed Church. Michael is a URC minister, theologian, speaker and author, and has lived and worked in Guyana, Jamaica, Grenada, Curacao, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and, since 1999, in …