Displaying items by tag: Parliament

A motion has been introduced in the Scottish parliament to formally recognise St Giles' Cathedral, a landmark in Edinburgh with a history spanning 900 years. MSP Miles Briggs commended the cathedral for its enduring significance and its efforts to engage people of all backgrounds and faiths. Rev Dr George Whyte, representing St Giles', expressed gratitude for the recognition, emphasising the importance of maintaining a balance between tourism and worship. The motion also highlights the cathedral's role as a centre celebrating Scotland's heritage and culture, attracting 1.5 million visitors annually. It is also a national church, hosting significant events such as state ceremonies. The cathedral's outreach projects aim to foster inclusivity and community cohesion. The motion will be circulated for additional signatures, reflecting widespread support within the parliament.

Published in Praise Reports
Friday, 01 March 2024 10:09

Jess Philips: ‘I am weary’

For nine years in succession, Labour MP Jess Phillips has read a list of women killed by men in the past twelve months, criticising the lack of attention given to women's safety in Parliament. She expressed weariness with the lack of systemic change, and said the issue seems to matter much less than small boats. The emotional reading of 98 names lasted over five minutes. Phillips credited organisations like Femicide Census for documenting these tragedies and highlighted failures such as the nonexistence of women's safety units within police forces. Her remarks came days after a UN rapporteur urged the Government to do more, stating that the UK’s strategies for tackling violence against women were inadequate. Grim statistics underline the urgency of the issue: a woman is killed by a man in the UK every three days, and one in four women experiences domestic violence. Meanwhile, a damning report issued today has shown how the killer of Sarah Everard should never have been allowed to become a police officer: see

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 07 September 2023 21:32

British Asian Christians call for peace in Manipur

British Asian Christians are issuing an urgent call for peace in Manipur as the area grapples with escalating violence and persecution. They are calling on people to join a peaceful protest in London next week. They said, ‘This unified effort, driven by the desire for justice and equality, seeks to shed light on the discrimination faced by Christians in the region.’ They are calling for ‘people of faith or no faith, who have good conscience and are moved by the recent attacks to come together and call for change.’ The violent persecution of Christians, which began four months ago over land rights and jobs, has been brought to the attention of British MPs, and a meeting in Parliament to discuss the situation is scheduled for later this month. Prime minister Modi is accused of ignoring the situation and not doing enough to quell the violence, earning him a vote of no confidence.

Published in British Isles
Friday, 07 July 2023 10:09

House of Commons culture

Even though several MPs were suspended recently for bad behaviour, a ‘predatory culture’ still exists around the House of Commons, as reports of inappropriate flirting and sexual misconduct continue. Six staff members say abuses of power by male MPs and senior staffers remain common, and the new complaints process is too slow. One woman was continually asked to sit on a male MP's knee, and another person was bombarded with text messages. A parliamentary aide said everyone who works in Parliament either has their own story of sexual misconduct or knows someone with one. She said the problem transcends party politics. A House of Commons spokesman said it took complaints seriously, and bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct had no place in Parliament, adding, ‘We remain committed to ensuring that lasting cultural change can be achieved here’.

Published in British Isles
Friday, 09 June 2023 10:24

Lord Carey wants assisted suicide debate

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey wants the Government to allocate time in Parliament for discussing possible legislation on assisted suicide. Challenging the Church of England's current view, he said it was important to stop people from suffering against their wishes and argued that to do so was ‘profoundly Christian’. In a submission to MPs, he said that helping someone in great suffering to die would be an act of great generosity, kindness and human love. He claimed that legalising assisted suicide would be a reflection of a compassionate society and argued that the likes of Oregon, in the US, where it is already legal, show that it can be done successfully. Anti-euthanasia campaigners use the example of Oregon, the Netherlands, Canada and Belgium as reasons why the UK should not change the law. In 2022 half of people given doctor-assisted suicide in Oregon did so because they feared being a burden on family, friends or caregivers.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 13 April 2023 21:44

Bill’s impact on the environment

The House of Lords debated a bill on 11 April, and if wise amendments are not made before it receives royal assent it is regarded as the gravest threat to our wildlife in decades by a number of wildlife and conservation charities. A new bill, officially called the Retained EU Law Bill, threatens to wipe out thousands of crucial laws which protect wildlife by the end of the year. This will lead to even more pollution poisoning rivers, more wild places at risk of being damaged - and potentially destroyed - and more wildlife threatened with extinction. It is an attack on nature, and environmentalists are urging the Government to bin it before it’s too late. The Government wants to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030. If this bill is passed without change, it will undermine any possibility of achieving that goal. A Rocha believes the bill should be abandoned in its current state.

Published in British Isles
Friday, 24 March 2023 06:16

100,000 people are impossible to ignore.

NGOs, unions, and charities are joining with Extinction Rebellion for ‘The Big One’ from 21 to 24 April, when thousands will descend on Parliament. Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Earth Day. NHS, Workers Say No, Greener Practice, Global Justice Now, Black Lives Matter, CND, and various trade unions will take part in The Big One, stating, ‘Ordinary people are ready to create a fairer, safer, better world. Politicians don’t recognise people’s needs or listen to millions striking for better pay. They refuse to tackle the climate and ecological crisis, or prioritise people’s poverty in the cost of living crisis over energy company profits. It’s up to us to change society by putting care for people and nature at the forefront. It is possible to rediscover our collective power and change the course of history together. To make this a reality, this moment calls for a mass movement to stand together and become impossible to ignore.’

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 05 January 2023 21:44

Christians in Parliament 2023

Christians in Parliament, who will begin a new programme of chapel services on 10 January, have been encouraged by growing numbers and fellowship at them. Please pray the increase will continue and parliamentarians and staff will be strengthened to live out their faith and invite others along. Please also pray for the speakers preparing this term’s themes. On 6 March Tom Holland, author and presenter of Europe’s most downloaded history podcast, will reflect on Christianity’s impact on the modern world. Please pray for a thought-provoking evening for all. On 20 March parliamentarians and Professor Robert Song will dine and have theme-based conversations on ‘What difference does Christianity make to politics?’ Pray for further deepening of relationships and a great blessing to all who attend. Weekly bible study and fellowship groups are looking at Revelation and 1 Peter. Please pray that members will be encouraged by meeting with other Christians to read God's Word, pray, and fix their eyes on Jesus in all that they do.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 15 September 2022 22:32

Therese Coffey and Liz Truss: moral issues

A charity has criticised the decision to make Catholic MP Therese Coffey the secretary of state because of her views on abortion. The newly-appointed deputy PM voted against extending ‘pills by post’, allowing women to take abortion pills at home, instead of a clinical setting. Ms Coffey said she would never condemn someone for having an abortion, but she would rather they did not have the procedure. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said that a health secretary who would place their personal beliefs above expert clinical guidance is concerning’. Meanwhile, Liz Truss said she shares the values of the Christian faith but is not a practising religious person. She abstained or was absent from parliamentary votes on legalising suicide and abortion, and voted to impose abortion on Northern Ireland. She also voted for same-sex marriage.

Published in British Isles

The Church of England has urged the Government to ensure age verification systems are put in place to protect under-18s from online pornography. The widespread availability of porn to children means they are growing up in a culture where violent, degrading and harmful sexual activity is being normalised. In 2017, porn checks were approved by Parliament under the Digital Economy Act but plans to implement them were abandoned in 2019 when the Government claimed they would be covered by future legislation. The abandoned Online Safety Bill stated, ‘pornographic websites could face large fines and risk being blocked if they do not have age verification systems in place to prevent children from accessing content.’ But now the Government announced, ‘further parliamentary consideration of the Bill is delayed until after the summer recess.’

Published in British Isles
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