Displaying items by tag: Brexit

Theresa May was handed a two-week deadline to resuscitate her Brexit deal last night and pledged to go back to Brussels to demand changes to the Irish backstop, with only 59 days to go until exit day. But within minutes of the Commons result, the European council president, Donald Tusk, announced that the EU was not prepared to reopen the deal. Steve Baker, the deputy chair of the backbench European Research Group, announced that its members could still reject any renegotiated deal she brought back. ‘A vote for the Brady amendment is a vote to see if the PM can land a deal that will work. If not then we are not committed,’ he said. Pray for the swirl of media comments around Brexit to be free from conjectures and distressing summaries.

J John has recently commented: ‘However Brexit is resolved, it offers both encouragements and challenges to us who pray. Brexit is a symptom of a world that appears to have gone off-script. Many of the pillars of our world have either been destroyed or are shaking badly. Within a lifetime we have gone from a culture founded on solid Judeo-Christian values to one in which the only fundamental truth is that there is no truth. In the dysfunctional world we live in, prayer and praising remind us that, however spectacular the damage to these pillars is, they do not in fact hold up the world. Underneath and over this world is God, and he remains immovable. Psalm 11 says, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.” Nothing has changed. Prayer reminds us that where the world sees only instability, we can focus beyond to eternal stability.’

From 20 January, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) joined in a week of prayer for Christian unity and dedicated prayer for the political situation in the UK. CTBI said, ‘This is a time in which many feel anger and anxiety over the future, and we need to pray that those who have the heavy burden of political leadership in our country may find a unity that brings our communities together in the task of serving the common good.’ Archbishop John Sentamu has encouraged everyone to pray three times a day, at 6am, 12 noon, and 6pm. He has written a special prayer to use: see

Nigel Farage could become leader of a new pro-Brexit party if Britain’s departure from the EU is delayed beyond 29 March. The former UKIP leader said he had offered his enthusiastic support to the Brexit party after being sounded out as its potential leader. Catherine Blaiklock, formerly a spokeswoman for UKIP, confirmed that on 11 January she had applied to register the party with the Electoral Commission. It would be ready to fight any snap general election, or the local elections across England in May. She said, ‘I think people feel treason has been committed. It’s democracy. It wouldn’t matter whether Leave had won by a single vote - it’s a first-past-the-post system.’ The party would aim to attract the 17.4 million people who voted to leave in 2016, and to win over defectors from the Conservatives, Labour, and UKIP.

‘Father, help us to resist the destructive ploys of the enemy to divide our nation. Give Your strength and peace to our politicians. Give fresh anointing to our government as they carry the mantle for running the country and banish confusion and fear from parliament, replacing it with wisdom from heaven as decisions are made on behalf of the people. Establish your purpose and direction for our nations in the coming weeks. Amen’. On 17 January our newspapers led with news of the Brexit deadlock. While all agree there is political chaos, they disagree about who is to blame: is it Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn or MPs in general? The Guardian said that despite surviving a dramatic no-confidence vote, Mrs May was left scrambling to strike a Brexit compromise, and Tory MPs remain deeply divided about how she should adapt her deal.

Arlene Foster, its leader, has said that the DUP will act in the best interests of the UK. ‘The promotion and protection of the Union is at our core’. She added, ‘We had made clear in all discussions that letters of reassurances were not enough to win our support for the backstop.’ She also said that the backstop did not respect Northern Ireland's constitutional position: ‘Immediately after the Government's meaningful vote defeat, I said we would work to set out a plan which deals with the flawed backstop. When meeting with MPs from all parties over the last few days, I have emphasised that the DUP's clear preference is to have a deal and an orderly exit from the EU. We will meet again with the Prime Minister in the coming days, and will stand up for the Union. We shouldn't fear uncharted waters. We should see them as an opportunity to seize and lay a better foundation for the next generation.’

As the Parliamentary vote on 15 January draws near, here are some facts to help generate informed intercession. The ‘meaningful vote’ will be on the draft Withdrawal Agreement. If MPs pass it, the deal will have less of a problem passing through the House of Lords. However, the Government appears likely to lose any vote on the current deal. Brussels will not reopen the agreement, fearing demands from member states over such matters as fishing issues and Gibraltar. It may offer small tweaks to a non-binding political declaration and/or a statement from EU lawyers on the backstop not being permanent. Meanwhile there need to be clarifications and reassurances over an invisible border in Ireland. We can pray for the boundaries, borders and sovereignty of this nation to be established and concluded according to God’s plans and timing, as God’s Spirit blows powerfully through Parliament.

Justin Welby has told the Lords that if Parliament fails to back a deal with Brussels, it will have shown itself to be ‘unfit for the job’. He warned that a no-deal Brexit could hit the ‘poorest and most vulnerable’ communities the hardest, and MPs have a ‘duty to build a compromise, even if it is unwelcome to some’. He urged MPs to show leadership and put the interests of their constituents first: ‘Parliamentarians must be able to look back at this time and say honestly to the people of this country that we put them, their choices, their welfare and their communities above the politics and ideology that can seem so all-consuming here in Westminster.’

Christians In Government have issued an open invitation to all Christians to become involved in a national call to prayer, culminating in a week of prayer (24-30 March). At this key time in the UK’s history, thousands are expected to engage with this call to unite, pray, and bless our nation. There is power when brothers and sisters come together in unity, regardless of political views or denominations. The initiative will focus especially on a national day of prayer on 28 March, the day before the UK is due to leave the EU. This is a vision to mobilise and gather people across the UK to pray for our nation. Christians everywhere are invited to pray with friends and community, and to spread the message about joining or hosting events on that day.

As Brexit negotiations hit critical stages, the Federation of Small Businesses has published a guide which outlines the main outcomes and describes what good contingency plans should cover. Pray for our business leaders to have wisdom and clarity of vision to devise such plans. Ask God to give leaders in agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, engineering, and industrial developments the insights to deal successfully with any unexpected Brexit scenarios. We can ask God to give heaven’s direction as they consider risks and opportunities. Brexit will affect the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, and of UK citizens living in EU countries. Pray for justice to reign for individuals and families caught in this shifting situation.