Bishop of Chelmsford on lorry tragedy
25 Oct 2019
Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell has said, ‘We live in a world where there is the most terrible human trafficking. We dread to think what situations those people were in when they climbed into that lorry. There is great desperation - people moving around the world to escape horrors elsewhere. What I've been trying to focus on is that there is a story for each of those 39 people; there is a family, and we don't know what those stories are. We have helped make the world where these things happen, and we must respond by doing all that we can to clamp down on the criminal activity that feeds on the desperation of others.’
Pupils with severe needs
25 Oct 2019
The Bishop of Coventry has asked the Government what funds are available for pupils with severe needs but who are not on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register, citing nine-year-olds threatening suicide due to homelessness and domestic violence. Mainstream schools are under pressure to educate children who do not meet SEN thresholds but have severe needs and require acute support. Sufficient government funding is not available for them. Meanwhile a document has been published with 38 conclusions and recommendations about supporting people with SEN, including finance being released to enable local authorities to discharge their duties sufficiently and not changing the law to fit resources. Pray that the departments for education and health and social care develop mutually beneficial options for cost- and burden-sharing. See
PM aims for snap election
25 Oct 2019
In the latest twist to the Brexit saga, Boris Johnson has said he will give MPs more time to debate his deal with the EU - if they agree to a 12 December election. He expects the EU to grant an extension to the 31 October deadline, even though he said he ‘really’ did not want one. But Jeremy Corbyn said he would not support an election until a no-deal Brexit is ‘off the table’. EU leaders could give their verdict on delaying Brexit for up to three months on 25 October. A motion will be tabled on 28 October calling for a general election; under current legislation, it has to be agreed by two-thirds of MPs. We need to pray for our leaders to work together to find solutions to difficult problems with God’s direction. May God guide them to speak respectfully and with humility to one another, and may the Holy Spirit help them to show Christ-like love to those they interact with. May they be wise advocates for their constituents and the nation.
Racist incidents in universities
25 Oct 2019
A government equality watchdog reports that universities are failing to address thousands of racist incidents, and that iInstitutions are ‘in denial’ about the scale of the problem. 25% of minority ethnic students had experienced racial harassment since the start of their course. Black students reported the highest rate of racial harassment, while 9% of white British students experienced anti-English, anti-Welsh, or anti-Scottish sentiments. 180,000 students across the UK experienced racial harassment in the first six months of their academic year. Findings showed universities were ‘out of touch with the extent that racism occurs, and some are completely oblivious to the issue’. Two-thirds of students and over half of staff did not report racial harassment to their university, often because they had no confidence that it would be addressed or they were fearful of reprisals. Pray for improved handling of complaints, ensuring investigations are led by staff trained in understanding racial harassment.
Children gamble with their own money
25 Oct 2019
The Gambling Commission published its 2019 survey of gambling trends of 11- to 16-year-olds in the UK. 36% had spent money on gambling. Those who had gambled in the previous week spent £17 on average. Bets with friends, scratch-cards, and slot machines were the most popular; online gambling continues to be a particular problem. 12% had played an online gambling-style computer game, 47% of them doing so on an app. 52% had heard of in-game items, with 44% playing by using birthday or Christmas present money. Sadly 41% of young people do not believe gambling is dangerous, but the commission is partnering with GambleAware to develop education and prevention programmes to increase awareness and protect such vulnerable people from the harms of gambling.
Europe’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia
25 Oct 2019
European countries temporarily halted arms exports to Turkey after its military incursion into Syria. But Europe’s other arms trading partner, Saudi Arabia, has caused deaths or injuries of 18,000 in Yemen, where 24.1 million need humanitarian assistance. Despite these figures, EU countries still have arms deals with the Saudis. The UK only halted arms exports in June after exports licences were found to be unlawful. Saudi Arabia was France's second-biggest weapons client last year: over €1 billion worth, including armoured vehicles used in or near Yemen. Only Spain suspended arms exports to Saudi Arabia, citing ‘use of this type of armament against a civilian population’. Why would EU countries halt arms to Turkey due to conflict, but not to Saudi Arabia for the same reasons? There could be several reasons, but two stand out - business and alliances.
Brussels: concern for displaced Venezuelans
25 Oct 2019
The EU, along with UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), is organising a high-level international conference on 28 and 29 October in Brussels. They are calling for urgent and concerted action for Venezuelan refugees and migrants. On 23 October Brussels highlighted the dramatic flight of millions of Venezuelans - one of the direst displacement crises in the world, and the largest in the recent history of the region. Nearly 80% of the 4.5 million who left their country have remained in Latin America or the Caribbean. Although countries in the region show solidarity towards them, their capacity and resources are reaching breaking point. The conference aims to raise awareness of the crisis, reaffirm global commitments, and assess best practices.
Spain: pre-election protests
25 Oct 2019
On 10 November Spain will have its fourth general election in four years. The Socialists received the most votes in April’s election, with Catalan separatist parties increasing their number of MPs. Since then, the supreme court has sentenced nine pro-independence politicians and civic leaders to a total of 100 years in prison. These sentences brought thousands of Catalonians onto the streets of many cities, and further violent clashes by far-right counter-protesters. Petrol bombs, blazing barricades, and vandalised buildings are new for Catalan’s pacifist independence movement, but the graffiti on a Barcelona wall read, ‘You have shown us that being peaceful is useless’. Hundreds have been injured in confrontations with security forces. The latest event was a ‘clean protest’ when protesters put detergent in a fountain, as a message to ‘clean up the mess from Spain’. One protester said demonstrations would continue until all the political prisoners were freed. See