Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Rehman Chishti MP is to be the new Prime Minister's envoy for freedom of religion and belief. CSW has congratulated him on his appointment, saying, ‘He has always been outspoken on issues relating to freedom of religion or belief, and we look forward to working with him as he takes on this new role.’ Mr Chishti, a Muslim, was previously the vice-chairman of the Conservative party covering faith and communities, and was an outspoken critic of the Government's handling of Aasia Bibi's appeal for asylum. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said, ‘A staggering 83% of the world's population live in nations where religious freedom is threatened or banned. It is an area where the UK can and must make a difference.’

Rehman Chishti MP is to be the new Prime Minister's envoy for freedom of religion and belief. CSW has congratulated him on his appointment, saying, ‘He has always been outspoken on issues relating to freedom of religion or belief, and we look forward to working with him as he takes on this new role.’ Mr Chishti, a Muslim, was previously the vice-chairman of the Conservative party covering faith and communities, and was an outspoken critic of the Government's handling of Aasia Bibi's appeal for asylum. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said, ‘A staggering 83% of the world's population live in nations where religious freedom is threatened or banned. It is an area where the UK can and must make a difference.’

Jean-Claude Juncker has asked Britain to table ‘operable proposals in writing’ to the Irish Backstop. On 19 September the UK gave the EU written suggested solutions ‘reflecting the ideas the UK has put forward’ saying that the UK will table ‘formal written solutions when we are ready and not to an artificial deadline’. The UK will accept an all-Ireland food and agricultural zone to avoid the need for many checks, but Barnier said that the EU must control products arriving to the single market, insisting Brexit must include the backstop or equivalent legally-binding guarantees. The EU parliament will never accept any agreement giving the UK advantages of free trade without aligning with European standards. ‘We are not stupid, we will not kill our own companies.’ Nigel Farage said Barnier’s objective is ‘keeping us trapped inside, fearing - if we break out of the single market - we would become wealthier outside the EU’.

On 30 August at Wembley, we prayed that in these days of national uncertainty, hostility and division, the church would stand in the opposite spirit of unity and humility, demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit in word and action, and in answer to our humility and obedience God’s fire would fall on the church and nation. God is calling us to persevere in prayer, standing on His Word and believing that despite what we see and hear, His purposes are being worked out. Whatever happens politically, it is time for the Good News to be preached, the broken-hearted healed, freedom for the captives, and release for those who are bound. A 61-day prayer call went out, focused on Isaiah 61; it is not too late for you to join in. To download its text, click here:

On 11 September Scotland’s highest civil court ruled that the advice given to the Queen by Boris Johnson was misleading and unlawful, believing that the reason for suspending parliament was to prevent or impede Parliament with regard to Brexit and allow the executive to pursue a policy of a no-deal Brexit without further scrutiny. Confusion and disarray is dominating the Brexit debate. Pray for God to turn the current chaos around and bring the politics of the UK back onto the paths of peace and purpose that He has prepared for the nation to move forward on. Pray for alienated politicians to unite, agree and act upon law-abiding truths, and for any flawed beliefs to vanish from agendas. Ask God to heal the painful wounds inflicted when political parties and relationships have been ripped apart, and pray for His wisdom, counsel and direction for everyone concerned.

The Information Commissioner's Office is questioning the Government about whether the collection of personal data on its Gov.uk platform complies with data protection laws. This follows a report that Boris Johnson had ordered the website to be used as a platform for ‘targeted and personalised information’ which would feed into Brexit preparations. The privacy rights campaign group Big Brother Watch claims that the report raises questions about ‘the legitimacy, urgency and purpose of such personal tracking’. The Gov.uk website brings together all the government's services, allowing people (for example) to file tax returns, pay for passports, or book driving tests.This development comes a day after the Advertising Standards Authority said that it was following up complaints about a Brexit-related government advertisement.

The arrival of the harvest has long been marked in Jewish and Christian worship. Harvest Festival is just one of the ways that the Christian tradition enriches the lives of children of all backgrounds as part of daily collective worship. It is a wonderful opportunity to help children and young people to think about how food reaches their plates, and to say thank you for all they have received, as well as giving to those in need. The majority of produce donated in churches will stock foodbanks; a recent survey shows that 60% of churches are involved in either running or supporting them - through volunteers, donations, and providing venues. The Trussell Trust’s latest figures show 1.6 million people receiving three-day emergency food from its foodbanks, a 19% increase on the previous year.

Flames rapidly spread and destroyed all four floors of wooden-framed homes in Worcester Park, London. 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines arrived in the early hours of 9 September and took five hours to control the blaze. The residents have lost everything, and most fled the fire in only the clothes they were wearing. Members of a nearby Baptist church were up since the early hours, providing help. They are now linking with the council to work out the best response they can offer after being deluged by donations from the local community. They are aiming to meet practical and spiritual needs in the situation. Pray for the residents who have to look at the shell of a building that used to be their home, and are left wondering what the future holds. See

Solving crime, seeing justice done, and working within communities to improve their lives is what motivates people to become police officers. Officers should not have to face assault when they take the risks of standing up to criminals and protecting people. However, after recent serious attacks on police officers and a national increase in officer assaults, an urgent review has been commissioned. It will hear from officers about their experiences and gather all the available evidence and research. It will focus on officer safety training, equipment, deployment and operational planning, investigations into officer assaults, the care provided after an assault, the response from the criminal justice system, and the extent to which it is providing a sufficient deterrent. The findings of this review will be considered at an extraordinary chief constables’ council in November.

On 11 September a 33-year-old man was detained in the Strabane area for a mortar bomb found pointed at the police station. The improvised explosive device was positioned close to a family home, and the incident has been blamed on a dissident republican group, the New IRA. Within 48 hours of the bomb being discovered officers moved into the Creggan estate en masse, quickly locating a command-wire activated device built to kill a passing police patrol. Senior officers clearly knew what they were looking for and where it was placed - precise information that must have come from what they describe as a Covert Human Intelligence Source (CHIS). Many believe the New IRA, like all paramilitary gangs past and present, is filled to the brim with such informers.