A ‘Church for England’, but whose understanding of Englishness?
Much has been written about the Archbishop of York's article in the Telegraph, in which he set out his vision for England woven with his preferred themes of Englishness, calling…
Housing
Homes for Ukraine: finally, a refugee programme we can be proud of
It has taken a while, but the UK now has a compassionate refugee programme responsive to the crisis unfolding in Ukraine, which is the worst refugee crisis seen in Europe since the end of World War II. It is a…
‘Coming Home’: what role should the Church play in housing?
"Across the UK, eight million people currently live in substandard housing, 800,000 people are in overcrowded households and one in five households face real difficulties in paying their mortgage or…
Man shall not live by broadband alone
Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party has pledged to deliver free fibre broadband to every home and business in the country by 2030. "What was once a luxury is now an essential…
Legal Aid: why is the Government riding roughshod over the rights of the poor?
It is a well established part of the life of General Synod that the clergy and laity can submit motions for debate to the Business Committee. Synod time is both…
Welby is right: the UK economy is “broken”, but England’s church is limping
It was an unfortunate coincidence that on the day the British Social Attitudes survey was released which announced that more than half (53%) of the British public now describe themselves…
Grenfell Tower tragedy becomes an anti-Tory hate-fest
Perhaps only those who have lost everything can even begin to understand the trauma of the Grenfell Tower inferno. And even then, the loss that comes with abandonment or flood…
Church of England welcomes Chancellor’s Autumn Statement – just don’t mention the national debt
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Rev'd David Urquhart, has issued a response to the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on behalf of the Church of England. It is notable for: I…
Would the Dean and Chapter of Manchester Cathedral host and pray for Ukip?
When the Dean of Manchester Cathedral agreed to facilitate the march of the people against austerity during this year's Conservative Party conference, a simple matter of Christian hospitality to…
Murmur in Manchester Cathedral: Corbyn counters Conservative Party Conference
The Bishop of Manchester is neither a member nor a supporter of the Labour Party. We know this because he tweeted it. He lauds the Guardian for its superior…
Corbyn's moral mission for a kinder, more inclusive politics
A bit doddery and oafish, Jeremy Corbyn stumbled and stammered through his first Conference speech like a 1950s grey-bearded puritan. He was robed in a bright red tie, though…
It's time to put the bedroom tax to bed
If you select any of the government’s welfare cuts since 2010, it’s more than likely that there’s been a bishop or two who have opposed them. Remember the Bishops’…
The only Church mentioned by 'Judæo-Christian' Ukip is prefixed with Winston
For those who favour the secession of the United Kingdom from the European Union - and there are many millions who do, cutting right across the mainstream of political…
Left-wing political bias in the Church is preferable to dumbness
One of the perks of my writing on Christianity, politics and society is that each year I am invited to the Archbishop of Canterbury's annual reception at Lambeth Palace…
Without promoting marriage we cannot love the poor
Some truths are so blindingly obvious and yet, despite every reason to embrace them, we chose instead to turn our backs and walk the other way. Take the case…
Ukip racism, bad; Labour racism.. well, I'll get back to you on that
"Are you intentionally out to give @UKIP an easy ride from a Christian perspective?" demanded someone called Peter Adams yesterday, in a terse Twitter response to the question: "Has…