Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

MSP had developed a gastric ulcer and other gastroenterological problems in 2019 and had a temporary stoma bag fitted. He told his parents and doctors that he ‘utterly loathed’ it and that he would rather die. As his condition developed he wrote an ‘advance directive’ in February 2020, refusing a permanent stoma or any medical treatment preventing him from living independently. His temporary stoma was removed on 14 May and he experienced sepsis. The only way to save his life was to fit a stoma bag immediately. He chose to have the bag inserted; he wanted to live. The doctors made an urgent out-of-hours application to Mr Justice Hayden to determine whether that life-saving treatment was or was not in his best interests. Even though he had changed his mind and his parents and doctors requested life, the judge ordered the withdrawal of life support.

Many of England's pupils are set to miss six months of lessons. There is a call for the Government to organise a task force to prevent the potential inequality around children's education. Pray for practical, workable plans to ensure that children can continue to reach their full potential. English schools and colleges must submit their estimated grades for GCSE and A-levels by 12 June. Pupils will be ranked from highest to lowest in achievement. Exam regulators have issued guidance on how to make the process as fair and accurate as possible. Many pupils are nervous about their estimated grades. Pray for those unsure of achieving the grade 4 or above needed in maths and English. May peace replace panic. Plans for all primary children to return before the summer have been dropped. The education secretary said there was a cautious, phased return to school: ‘if schools had the capacity, they could take more pupils if they chose.’

Home Office figures show 5,000 attacks on Met Police officers, almost half of which resulted in injury. There is concern that during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that number will rise. A video showing officers being attacked in north London on 10 June is circulating on social media. A member of the public flagged down two police officers, a man and a woman, saying he had been assaulted and directed them to the alleged attacker. As an officer attempted to speak with those involved, one of them became aggressive, and a struggle ensued. A number of others became involved whilst the officer was on the ground, and passers-by filmed the attack - but did not step in to support the overwhelmed policewoman, who was attempting to keep people away. She was injured in the process before more officers arrived to assist and arrest the two men. Both officers suffered injuries that did not require hospital treatment. The Metropolitan Police Federation said, ‘We are not society's punchbags.’

During lockdown written answers were given to various bishops’ questions on free school meals, on coal and renewable energy in India, on modern-day slavery and the two-child benefit limit. Parliament met in Westminster and online from 2 June. The Bishop of Chelmsford began each virtual sitting day in the Lords with prayers, spoke in a debate on the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked the Government about reducing poverty by raising universal credit payments. The Bishop of St Albans entered the debate on Hong Kong protests and supported regulations on direct payments to UK farmers; while the Bishop of Winchester asked the Government about the impact of Covid-19 on apprenticeship schemes. Also, 2020’s national parliamentary prayer breakfast will be live-streamed this year on Tuesday 30 June from 8.30am. The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin will address the theme of ‘Hope and peace in a time of fear and suffering’. See

Christian Concern recently urged the Government to trust pastors to reopen churches, as churches are more than Sunday services. They are food banks, restore people's mental and spiritual wellbeing, and offer many other vital services. If workplaces throughout Britain are trusted to make wise decisions around reopening, why not the church? The one-size-fits-all ban treats gathered church worship as a luxury and wrongly stops responsible pastors from making the decision themselves. The government has asked for more time to respond to the reopening request, saying collective worship could take place next month. See

In the light of George Floyd’s death, the Evangelical Alliance has joined thousands of voices around the world, to declare that the indescribable pain and dehumanisation of others because of their skin colour has to stop. ‘Let us stand together as brothers and sisters in Christ, as we cry out for justice, as we stand with those suffering oppression, as we weep with those grieving and in pain. We all have a responsibility to act against discrimination and systemic racism in our workplaces, churches, justice systems, and wider communities. We cannot view this as white vs black. This is a clarion call for us to come together and fight every form of racism in all its disgusting manifestations. As the Church we must unite across all ethnicities in saying, and showing, that all are created equal, all people bear God’s image.’

There is a lack of certainty about the safety of children returning to school. Reception, year 1 and year 6 pupils are able to return; however there are mixed local pictures. Some schools reopened, some remained shut, and some have not brought back all the pupils mentioned by the Government. Please pray for: the only child in the family, still at home with no one to play with; children still missing lessons and friends; returning pupils having to learn new ways of behaving in school and playground; children readapting to school and joining children of key workers who have continued education; teachers reorganising teaching plans for mixed abilities and keeping classrooms safe. Pray for teachers unable to keep to curriculum for classes because half the children are absent or the classrooms are too small to facilitate the whole class.

Our government has the responsibility to protect those in the health service risking their lives for our health. There are still doctors, nurses, care home workers, carers and others who do not have some essential personal protective equipment. Amnesty International say we are not safe until everyone is safe. Also migrant women who are victims of domestic abuse go without safety and healthcare. They are too scared to seek urgent medical care or help with safe housing, for fear of being reported to immigration authorities. Women’s Aid estimates that four out of five migrant women are turned away from refuges because they lack access to government support or funds. Pray for the Government to provide resources for everyone who needs them, no matter what their immigration status. Pray also for the police to catch the criminals stealing PPE to sell at inflated prices on the internet (see).

Hong Kong citizens may be offered UK visas. Boris Johnson has opened the path to what he called one of the ‘biggest changes’ to our visa system, stating he is ready to offer a right to live and work in the UK to any of the nearly three million Hong Kong citizens eligible for a British National Overseas (BNO) passport. The prime minister’s offer would come into play only if China presses ahead with new security laws that strip Hong Kong of its traditional freedoms. Pray for him and Dominic Raab to be wise in all their relations and dealings with China. Pray for peaceful streets in Hong Kong, and for Chinese Christians to be unwavering and protected as they face their government’s current attitude.

Madeleine McCann is ‘assumed’ to be dead, say German prosecutors investigating her disappearance in 2007. A 43-year-old German predator currently in prison for sex crimes is being investigated on suspicion of her murder. Police are appealing for the public's help in solving the case, after they announced on 3 June that they had a new suspect. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, felt the latest development was ‘potentially very significant’. Their spokesperson said, ‘Of all the thousands of leads and potential suspects that have been mentioned in the past, there has never been something as clearcut as that from not just one, but three, police forces.’ The Met are working with German and Portuguese police. They have released details of the suspect's phone number and the number which dialled him before Madeleine’s disappearance; any information about these numbers could be ‘critical’.