Accountability

Martyn Percy cleared again: CofE safeguarding goes from tragedy to farce

December 9, 2020
Martin Sewell
0 Comments

It has been reported that the Church of England’s Director of Safeguarding, Melissa Caslake, has tendered her resignation after only 18 months in the post, and will be leaving at the turn of the year to take up a position…

Martyn Percy is challenging an entire cultural mindset of establishment privilege

July 22, 2020
0 Comments

Reflecting upon the developing Dean Martyn Percy story, I called to mind the famous observation by Abraham Lincoln upon the institution of slavery which was defended at the time by…

synod bishops social political diversity

General Synod: social and political diversity among Bishops

July 10, 2020
0 Comments

Quite a few interesting questions have been tabled for the imminent virtual General Synod of the Church of England, ranging from Bishops' Twitter usage (Qs 69-70) to Safeguarding abusage (Qs…

A Christian case for Brexit

January 7, 2020
0 Comments

If one anti-Brexit argument persists within the clergy hierarchy of the Church of England, it is that the UK's departure from the European Union is a fundamentally 'un-Christian' pursuit. The…

Operation Yellowhammer: political advantage trumps right to privacy

September 10, 2019
0 Comments

The end of prolonged conflicts can be both brutal and swift. The American Civil War ended with Sherman’s brutal 'March to the Sea' and the First World War ended with…

Nobody knows Nobody’s Friends

August 26, 2019
0 Comments

People of a certain age might remember that the motorcycle patrolmen of the Automobile Association was once a common sight on British roads. Members sported badges on the fronts of…

Clergy sexual abuse: why can’t the Church cleanse its own temple?

August 18, 2019
0 Comments

"The gross evil of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy would have gone unexposed had it not been for three principal agencies, all secular." That's the damning opening sentence of…

“Shabby and shambolic” – the CofE still conspires against truth and justice in historic sexual abuse

August 2, 2019
0 Comments

Anyone wishing the Church of England well might have hoped that the end of the IICSA hearing last month represented the nadir of its unhappy handling of victims complaints. Despite…

Royal Assent: Crown neutrality on Brexit is unsustainable

April 8, 2019
0 Comments

The last time Royal Assent was withheld from a parliamentary bill was in the wake of the union of England and Scotland in 1707/8, when Queen Anne declined to support…

Before peace, reconciliation and healing, there must come reckoning

March 31, 2019
0 Comments

Donald Trump is not a modest man. He is not polished, well read, stylish, university educated, 'sophisticated', or a paragon of moral virtue. But he is the duly elected President…

‘General Synod has no confidence in the Church of England’s capacity to regulate its own safeguarding culture’

February 20, 2019
0 Comments

The laicisation of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick by the Roman Catholic Church was one more step on the long journey towards cleansing that institution of sexual abuse, much of it…

Speaker Bercow Parliament Brexit Constitution

Speaker Bercow: the most powerful commoner in the land

January 29, 2019
0 Comments

The Speaker of the House of Commons is also known as the First Commoner of the Land, elected by MPs to chair their proceedings without prejudice or partiality, and to…

How far is Bishop George Bell’s reputation restored? When is a cloud not a cloud?

January 25, 2019
0 Comments

This is a guest post by Synod members Martin Sewell and David Lamming. _______ The Church of England has now published the Briden Report into the further allegations against Bishop…

Bercow, Brexit, conspiracy and coup: the inescapable feeling of betrayal

January 13, 2019
0 Comments

The most difficult controversies are those in which both sides have a point. Two well known historic examples come to mind. The English Civil War was contended on multiple controversies,…

sentamu brexit withdrawal agreement deal

Sentamu: ‘pure’ (‘real’/ ‘hard’) Brexit is “a childish dream”

December 3, 2018
0 Comments

On the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, the Archbishop of Canterbury was asked about the disparity (/gulf) between the laity and clergy in the Church of England regarding the…

Election of Church Commissioners – how best to assess the candidates

October 14, 2018
0 Comments

The US Mid-Terms are not the only important elections about to be determined this autumn. The voting papers have just been sent out to the members of the Church of…

York General Synod - Bishop Peter Hancock with abuse survivors

Synod – Reasons to be Cheerful (Pt 1): the secret to a contented flock

July 15, 2018
0 Comments

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that the glass is half full, and I offer these thoughts on General Synod in the irrepressible spirit of the late Ian Dury, which…

whitewash child abuse singleton report adequate

It is time for General Synod to protest: victims of sexual abuse deserve better than ‘adequate’

July 5, 2018
0 Comments

Critics of the Church of England’s responses to historic sexual abuse can be fairly generous. Consider the words of David Pearson, founder of the Child Protection Charity CCPAS, who was…

CofE Safeguarding: General Synod is being managed, manipulated, duped and disrespected

June 18, 2018
0 Comments

Since the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse moved the focus of its hearings away from the Church of England until returning later in July, campaigners for the reform of…

Why is the General Synod of the Church of England so poor at holding Bishops to account?

May 1, 2018
0 Comments

Travel is said to broaden the mind, but occasionally it reminds us to pay more attention to what is closer to home, right under our noses. Many years ago, on…