The Sunday Times stated that ‘police officers in Downing Street set a trap for Andrew Mitchell, the former Tory cabinet minister; the trap led to plebgate’. A police email sent in September 2012 stated officers planned to stop Mitchell the next time he wanted to cycle through the main gates. When he tried to do so, just hours later, the angry exchange that led to his resignation occurred. Also, hours before the alleged confrontation occurred, one of the Diplomatic Patrol Group asked for ‘backing from his superiors’ if the former Chief Whip was stopped. Last month a judge-led public inquiry was launched into undercover police officers after findings of police corruption in the original Stephen Lawrence investigation. Recently Theresa May attacked police on further corruption and treatment of women and minorities. The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester called for an end to the slanging match between the police and politicians. See also: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2636092/Theresa-Mays-bombshell-attack-police-leaves-rank-file-angry-bewilderedloss-respond.html

Food companies who signed up to the Government’s flagship ‘healthy eating’ pledge have failed to reduce the amount of sugar in some of their best-known brands. The sugar and overall calorie levels in products such as Coca-Cola and Magnum ice creams have remained the same despite their manufacturers promising to help customers to ‘eat and drink fewer calories’. Instead, the companies have reduced sugar in lesser-known products. MPs and campaigners said it showed that the calorie pledge in the Government’s Responsibility Deal, under which food manufacturers pledged to encourage healthier eating, was failing. They called on ministers to introduce specific sugar reduction targets, similar to those in place for salt, to tackle rising levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Dr Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist and Action on Sugar's science director, said the findings suggested food firms were simply paying ‘lip service’ to the Government by signing up to the calorie pledge.

Yorkshire churches are preparing to welcome cycling legends Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins this summer, as the Tour de France begins in Leeds. The Tour is famed for bringing together teams of world-class cyclists, who compete for the elusive yellow jersey over an agonising, and exhausting 23 days. This year, the route will take competitors over a total of 3,656 kilometres from Leeds through Harrogate, York, Sheffield, Cambridge and London before arriving in France and finishing in Paris. Scores of churches from all denominations will line the route and a dedicated website has been set up to  allow them to share ideas and resources, giving every community the chance to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Canon John Carter, communications officer for the diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales, said ‘It's very much an ecumenical thing, and it's about encouraging churches to work together with their local community which has been really good’.

A flagship government employment policy is facing further delays following a boycott by over 300 voluntary organisations. The ‘Help to Work’ scheme will force long-term unemployed people to work full-time for six months for no pay, or face losing their benefits. Last Monday's deadline, by which the placements were required by contract to be up and running, has passed, but the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is now saying placements will begin later in the month. There is speculation that the DWP is struggling to find charities, faith groups or local authorities to host the placements. Hundreds of voluntary groups have signed the ‘Keep Volunteering Voluntary’ statement to say they will boycott the scheme. They include household names such as Christian Aid, Oxfam, Crisis, Shelter and Scope. Keep Volunteering Voluntary points out that even during the pilot scheme, the DWP failed to find placements for 37 percent of participants.

The Church of England asked for bishops to have powers to oversee the removal and reburial of bodies in graves along the planned HS2 rail line. 30,000+ graves must be exhumed along the high-speed route. Church officials say the Bill paving the way for the line does not provide for those remains to be treated in a ‘decent and reverent’ way and the Bill should not pass without changes. The Archbishops' Council made its criticisms in a petition to Parliament, attacking the Bill for not striking a proportionate balance between the rights of the Church of England to manifest its religion and the general needs of the community that are to be met by the works on HS2. The petition says that by law, human remains interred in consecrated land are under the protection of the Church. Because the bill overrides that protection, the petition says other ecclesiastical safeguards should be provided for in its place.

In a highly significant development, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has changed its position on the causes and nature of same-sex attraction. The review follows strong criticism made by the Christian Medical Fellowship and Core Issues Trust of the way in which the Royal College had handled scientific evidence on the issue. Andrea Williams from Christian Concern for our Nation, commented, ‘This is a remarkable development. The assumption that people are born gay has become deeply rooted in our society and has driven huge political, social and cultural change. Yet now the Royal College of Psychiatrists has admitted that things are not so simple and that post-birth environmental factors play a part. It is a step in the right direction and I congratulate the Christian Medical Fellowship and Core Issues Trust for ensuring that public debate acknowledges truth. We will continue to work to ensure that those facing unwanted same-sex attraction can access appropriate therapy.’ See also http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/sexual-orientation

Churches and Christians are being encouraged to pray for the media on Sunday June 1st. The initiative is being led by the Church and Media Network, with prayers being submitted by the Archbishop of York, Rev Ruth Gee, President of the National Conference of the Methodist Church; Dr Daleep Mukarji, the Vice-President of the Methodist Conference; and the Rt Rev Nick Baines, the Anglican Bishop-designate of Leeds. The Church and Media Network, which seeks to encourage Christians to engage with the media, is encouraging people to submit their own prayers on the newly-launched website www.pray4media.co.uk and to tweet prayers to @pray4media. Rev Tony Miles, Chair of the Network, explained: ‘As Christians we want to affirm the media’s vital role in our society. At its best the media gives a voice to the voiceless, holds the powerful to account, highlights unjust practices, calls for justice, keeps people informed, brings us strong opinions to challenge our own – and tells stories to entertain us.’

The landscape of prostitution in the UK is changing. Ten years ago, you'd find women on street corners at certain times of day. Now, they tend to operate from brothels, saunas, massage parlours and hotels. The use of internet and mobile technology, increasing stigmatisation of men wanting to pay for sex, a change in national legislation and also the consequences of human trafficking all mean that the patterns of prostitution are shifting. Mark Wakeling, director of UK charity Beyond the Streets, says this shift from on-street to off-street locations means those working to support women in the sex industry have had to re-think their approaches. His charity has partnered with The Gate, a local charity in Southampton, to work out a new way to reach women. Research suggests that many women who sell themselves from brothels and massage parlours are isolated and feel unable to access support. Violence against women in these situations remains high.

A Christian campaign group is launching a national network of safe houses for Muslim converts who face ostracism or violent reprisals for leaving their religion. It says it knows of up to 1,100 former Muslims at risk in Britain but the true number could be 3,000. Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, which is organising the network, said: ‘We are motivated by a deep sense of love and compassion for those that feel trapped in a situation from which they cannot escape. The penalty for them at best is to be cut off from their family; at worst they face death. This is happening not just in Sudan and Nigeria but in east London. The government has failed to deal with the rise in anti-Christian sentiment.’

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, together with the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, have today issued a joint statement, in response to a report to their Churches. The report, entitled The Challenge of the Covenant, recommends that both Churches take action to enhance unity between them, with the work being fully embedded in Church structures. The report also encourages the Church of England to address the question of interchange ability of ordained ministries between the two Churches, and the Methodist Church to consider the possibility of a form of Episcopal ministry (such as a 'president bishop'). The statement from the Archbishops and Methodist Presidency welcomes the report, stating: ‘The time has now come for our Churches to take further, significant steps to achieve that level of reconciliation between us and partnership in the gospel that will enhance our mission together in local communities and our shared witness to the whole of society.’