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- Afghanistan and the UK – One Year On from the Fall Of Kabul August 15, 2022 7:51 am
One year ago, it was reported that the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, had fled the country. In April 2022, President Biden had announced his intention of fully withdrawing of US troops from Afghanistan. Subsequently, the Taliban’s attacks across the country intensified and a number of regions were seized. With no President or active government in Kabul, the city was overcome by the Taliban on the 15th of August. Efforts to evacuate British personnel and vulnerable Afghan citizens accelerated. I am sure you can remember the scenes. Desperate people pressing up against fences hoping to board a plane, families separated in the chaos, mothers begging soldiers to take their children to safety. I’ll never forget the images of people hanging onto planes as they took off. They all knew what Taliban rule would mean for them and their families, and they would do anything to get away. In the following months, the Taliban attempted to assure the world they would bring peace, stability and economic growth to the country, but their assertions were met with scepticism. To date, no government has officially recognised their rule. A year on, reports are rife of a collapsing economy, ever increasing tensions, and continued human rights abuses – particularly against women and girls.[1] There are serious concerns that Afghanistan might, once again, be becoming a haven for terrorists.[2] It is no wonder vulnerable Afghan citizens continue to look for safety elsewhere. In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Kabul, Operation Pitting saw around 8,000 Afghans evacuated to the UK.[3] They were primarily those who had worked with the UK in Afghanistan and their families. Many of them were sent to hotels around the UK while the government looked to identify more suitable accommodation. Since then, others have come to the UK through the two safe routes established by the UK government (known as ARAP and ACRS), and the vast majority of them were sent to hotels too. The government has said homes have been found for around 7000 Afghans so far, but the heart-breaking reality is that around 9,500 of these traumatised people, including children, are still languishing in temporary accommodation.[4] They may be safe, but they’re far from settled. Some report being isolated from wider society, cooped up for months on end in one room for the whole family. Many are unable to cook for themselves and lack liberty of choice over many areas of their lives. Others are desperate to be reunited with family members, but the current safe routes from Afghanistan do not allow for family reunion, so Afghan families must rely upon Immigration Rules which are extremely restrictive. For instance, the mother of a child who was evacuated would not be able to come to the UK, as children cannot sponsor family members. It is notable that the rules for Ukrainian refugees have been much more generous. Meanwhile, expert groups on Afghanistan have criticised the UK’s resettlement routes as slow and “unjustifiably restrictive”.[5] Many Afghans disillusioned or deemed ineligible are being forced to resort other routes to safety. 1 in 4 people crossing the Channel have fled Afghanistan – the highest nationality crossing the Channel – but the government are still pushing forward their plans to export many asylum seekers who come through this route to Rwanda without considering their asylum claims.[6] Many of our churches, of course, are doing what they can. Whether it is in conjunction with “Afghan Welcome” or simply in collaboration with their own local councils, churches have been reaching out to the families in hotels, offering all sorts of provision and kindness – embodying the posture of welcome that the Bible demands of God’s people.[7] But, one year after the fall of Kabul, my desperate hope is that all Christians might: encourage our councils to do all they can to welcome and house Afghan refugeesimplore our MPs to encourage the government to expand and improve the safe routes for Afghans to come to the UKpray for peace, freedom and justice for Afghanistan and all its citizens. [1] https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/05/facing-critical-human-rights-challenges-afghanistan-crossroads-says-un [2] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2022/08/03/afghanistan-risks-becoming-terrorist-safe-haven/ [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-58828700 [4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62393625 [5] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/07/shameful-afghans-who-helped-uk-abandoned-to-a-life-of-fear-under-the-taliban [6] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/afghans-channel-people-home-office-taliban-b2088151.html [7] https://afghanwelcome.org <!– –> Source
- Inflation, interest rates and the poorest August 4, 2022 5:08 pm
This morning I was interviewed on Premier Radio about today’s interest rate rises. I talked about those whose costs will rise – mortgage holders, renters and those who are already burdened by unavoidable debt accumulated over the lockdowns. I also talked about the rise’s effects on those who are already just keeping their heads above water. All true and worth saying. However, what I didn’t do was tell the more difficult story about why we are increasing Central Bank interest rates, the uncomfortable assumptions that underpin the policy and the systematic disadvantage it places upon those with the least. Long term, that is the much more important story, so I thought I would begin to tell it here. Why are interest rates rising to combat inflation? The theory begins with a deceptively simple premise – inflation happens when the economy has too much money chasing too few goods. If you believe that is the problem, the solution is to increase the amount of goods (increase supply side) or decrease the amount of money. Raising the interest rate decreases the amount of money available, by making less credit available to businesses and households and by making it more profitable for money to sit in banks rather than be invested elsewhere. The aim of raising interest rates is to reduce consumer and business spending, reducing the demand for goods and services, and, so the theory goes, reducing inflation. You may have spotted an issue – 2.5 million people are already destitute, and basic decency says their spending is already too low. 14.6 million already experience poverty, and asking them to consume less is plain cruel. Not to mention the millions who will be pushed towards poverty or destitution by the rising cost of living compounded by interest rate rises. The response is often a “jam tomorrow” argument – emphasising that tackling inflation will help the poorest in the long run. The argument is not unreasonable, but in the short run children need feeding, houses need warming and growing up in poverty for any sustained period scars health, education, and future wellbeing. For children, ignoring the short run harms the long run [1]. I would also note that whilst there has been no shortage of policies affecting the poorest that hurt now to benefit later, poverty has increased, deepened and its consequences intensified over the past decade. For some, despite the promises, “jam tomorrow” never comes. Economists have understandable difficulty predicting what happens “in the long run” “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable” – John Kenneth Galbraith. The deceptively simple premise – inflation is caused by too much money chasing too few things – is applied to a staggeringly complicated world. Galbraith’s quotation was not a criticism of forecasters. Economic predictions are extraordinarily difficult, and any usable insight is a success. The criticism is of how the forecasts are used. The false air of certainty allows decision makers and politicians to confidently implement policies without needing to acknowledge the risks. He also noted that the risks of these policies tended to be borne by those without money or political clout – while the rewards were distributed in the other direction. To know what effect raising interest rates has on inflation you must know two things – what would have happened if you hadn’t increased rates, and what did happen. In any single economy, it is not possible to know both these things – you must estimate one. That means any evaluation of the effect of raising interest rates is only as good as your ability to predict the path of inflation if you hadn’t raised interest rates. Economists have a hard job and predicting inflation is very hard indeed. Charles Goodhart, former Bank of England interest rate setter and Professor at LSE, began a recent presentation with the truth we have known for a while but dared not speak: “the world at the moment is in a really a rather extraordinary state because we have no general theory of inflation”.[2] He explained that there were once two competing theories but evidence over decades has now shown their predictions to be unreliable. A recent paper by the US Federal Reserve also highlights that there are several theories that underpin the modelling of inflation – and none reliably get it right. It specifically looks at and rejects the increasingly fashionable “expectations prediction” method, where we predict inflation by asking lots of forecasters using their favoured different methods what they think inflation will be in the future. You can guess the state of the field if that is viewed as a potential winner. My point is not that forecasters are not good at their very difficult job. My point is Galbraith’s – that there is a false certainty which leads to policy choices that are all to willing to disregard the short term because we have confidence in the long term. The short term is where the poorest must live – only those with a cushion can afford to ignore the short term and wait for the long. Where next in the long term? In lots of ways the economy is not behaving as pre-2008 textbooks told us it would. The UK printed £900Bn over a decade without stoking inflation – basic economics textbooks still invoke the Weimar Republic and the inevitable and immediate disaster that would follow large scale printing of money. Large levels of sustained immigration happened in the UK with little or no downward effect on wages. [3] The once cast-iron relationship between low unemployment driving low rates of poverty and rising wages has been severed.[4] Economists are working hard to understand and explain this new reality – but if your knowledge is a pre-2008 textbook, you will have a lot to unlearn. I would argue, as Kate Raworth and growing number of environmental and feminist economists have, that our basic assumptions about the nature of the economy is holding us back from addressing the most important economic […]
- Tax and the cost of living July 27, 2022 3:08 pm
The Conservative Party is choosing a new leader, who will become the UK’s next Prime Minister. One of the key issues throughout the campaign has been tax cuts. All the candidates – including Sunak and Truss who remain in the contest – wish to cut taxes. The only differences between candidate have been which taxes, by how much and when. There are lots of reasons given for tax cuts, both good and bad. But it is really important to understand what they are inevitably bad at doing, which is targeting money at the least well-off families. Under the current tax regime almost all tax cuts necessarily benefit the wealthiest half of the population. Everyone is being affected by higher prices, and it is a legitimate aim for government to spread money widely throughout society to temper these rises for everyone. Tax cuts can do that. Tax cuts do not, however, target money at those families with the lowest incomes who were already struggling. Usually, they target money at higher earners. Lots of tax cuts are justified by their benefits to the poorest families, but closer inspection gives a different view. For example, the raising of the income tax personal allowance by over £3000 between 2010 and 2014, took “3 million of the lowest paid workers out of income tax altogether”[1]. This was true, but it also targeted much more money at the top half of the income distribution. Because the poorest don’t pay income tax, the cut didn’t affect them. To benefit fully from the tax cut, your family needed to have two relatively high earners. The result of a tax cut which took “3 million of the poorest families out of income tax” was that the least well off fifth of households gained around £10 year while the wealthiest fifth of families gained around £500[2]. Despite the fact that raising the personal allowance targets money at wealthier families, it does so less than simply lowering the basic rate of income tax. A basic rate cut of 1% would forgo around £5Bn of revenue – £2.5Bn of which would go to the richest fifth of households. The same is true of indirect taxes such as VAT or fuel duty. In total, these indirect taxes form around 16% of household of expenditure independent of your household’s total level of spending. As the poorest fifth of households spend a lot less per year than the richest fifth (~£25,000pa), cutting direct taxes targets money at the highest spenders. Simply put, the poorest people in communities earn less and spend less– so cutting taxes on earnings or spending helps them less. There are multitude of potential reasons to reduce taxes, each with its pros and cons. However, if your justification for cutting taxes is helping the poorest, you should be honest and mention that a “side” effect of helping the poorest will be to give even more money to the richest. The benefits system targets money at the poorest families The best way to get money to the poorest families is via the benefit system which is (imperfectly) designed for the job. No contender for the leadership has yet made proposals to do this. Fuel prices rise by further £800 in October, possibly more. Many of the people I have met in church drop-ins and foodbanks over the past few months just have no idea how their budget can stretch. They will need targeted help, which tax cuts can never be. Click here to read JPIT’s briefing on the cost of living crisis. [1] Tax change ‘no help’ to the low-paid workers | Autumn statement | The Times [2] A £10,000 personal allowance: who would benefit, and would it boost the economy? – Institute For Fiscal Studies – IFS <!– –> Source
- Public morality and private profit: the case of nuclear weapons June 20, 2022 9:43 am
On 21st June governments and civil society representatives from across the globe assemble in Vienna for the first meeting of State Parties of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The event will see the gathering of State representatives (Ministers and Diplomats) alongside city mayors, regional government representatives (including from Scotland), Trade Union representatives and faith groups. We might well recall the famous opening words of the UN Charter “We the peoples”. In 1945, at the founding of the United Nations states, the representative leaders of the people affirmed the dignity and worth of the human person and renounced the use of force except in the common interest. The work that started in 1945 continues in Vienna today.After decades of work we now collectively recognise that the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons contravene well-established principles in international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians in conflict. Such protection is a fundamental principle promoted by the UK government and almost all other States. Building on this principle, the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has entered into forced and now has 86 State signatories. It has 61 ratifications in national legislation of UN member states including in Ireland and Austria. It was originally commissioned through a majority vote at the 2016 UN General Assembly and a year later 122 nations supported the text of the Treaty. I draw attention to this international majority consensus for a reason. As private entities, our major banks and pension providers are not directly subject to an International Treaty that is binding on States, but nevertheless have a choice to make. If they aspire to be apolitical (as most do) they will respond to the international consensus on the illegality of nuclear weapons. Alternatively, they can choose to subscribe to the partisan position of the UK government that is forced to resist this UN Treaty due to its continued adherence to its own nuclear arsenal. I find it baffling, but not surprising, that most financial institutions in the UK, even those banks with a global market, adopt the latter parochial position. Some do so because they lack awareness, others because they support a dogma that resists any interference with decision-making based purely on financial grounds. The Joint Public Issues Team are in dialogue with 15 major UK banks and pension providers through our support of Investing in Change. Can they be persuaded to change? A response from their own customers and pension fund members is most likely to tip the balance. It is after all entirely unacceptable that pension members should have to move their pension fund to a niche ‘ethical’ option in order to avoid investment in activities that are banned by international law. In our discussion with banks and pension providers we are clear that the law has changed; the narrative on nuclear weapons has changed; and so must they. TAKE ACTION WITH US. COPY OR RE-TWEET THESE TWEETS ON 21ST TO 23RD JUNE WRITE TO YOUR BANK AND PENSION PROVIDER HERE. <!– –> Source
- Five things you can do to mark Refugee Week (20-26 June 2022) May 31, 2022 10:30 am
Refugee Week is taking place from 20-26 June this year, with the theme of ‘Healing’. There is so much going on across the UK to celebrate the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees – we’ve picked out five things you and your church can do:Reflect on Sanctuary each day A new free resource for individual Christians and church communities invites reflection on the significance of sanctuary for our times. Written by Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal and Dr Jayme R Reaves and titled Sanctuary: The Hospitality of Host, Guest and Stranger, it offers daily reflections, prayers and ideas for action during Refugee Week. Published by Churches Together and Britain and Ireland. Sanctuary resource for Refugee Week – Sanctuary: The Hospitality of Host Guest and Stranger (ctbi.org.uk) Carry out a Simple Act Simple Acts are everyday actions we can all do to stand with refugees and make new connections in our communities. Inspired by this year’s Refugee Week theme of ‘healing’, suggestions include sending a message, sharing a dish, reading a book, and planting a seed. Simple Acts | Refugee Week Mark Refugee Week in your worship Use All We Can’s worship resources, which are focused on the lectionary readings for Refugee Sunday (26 June), to reflect, learn, pray and give in solidarity with the 82.4 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes. Look out for a special Refugee Week edition of Politics in the Pulpit featuring All We Can on 21st June! Church resources for Refugee Week 2022 – All We Can Pledge to fight anti-refugee laws New legislation passed in the UK this year makes it harder for people to be recognised as a refugee, and criminalises and punishes those who make their own way to safety in the UK. Join the campaign to reverse these cruel laws and defend the right to seek safety. https://act.refugee-action.org.uk/page/106452/petition/1 Hold a community picnic The end of Refugee Week is an opportunity to invite those with lived experience of being asylum seekers and refugees, those who are involved in supporting them, and all in the community who want to show solidarity, to come together to simply share a meal, and enjoy each other’s company. https://togetherwithrefugees.org.uk/community-picnics-at-the-end-of-healing-refugee-week/ For details of other events and resources, visit https://refugeeweek.org.uk/ [embedded content] Artwork by Nima Javan for Refugee Week. <!– –> Source
- Time to Ban the Bailiffs May 26, 2022 1:58 pm
Joe Cox from our friends at Debt Justice (formerly the Jubilee Debt Campaign) introduces their new campaign to make council tax collection more humane and more effective – by ending council’s use of bailiffs.In its latest annual release the UK government found that £4.4 billion of council tax arrears built up during the pandemic. This debt could now lead to a dramatic increase in councils using bailiffs for collection and it couldn’t come at a worse time with households being hit by another cost of living crisis. Enforcement action is cruel, outdated and ineffective. In addition, there is not any link between stricter council tax collection policies and higher council tax collection rates. It is time for local authorities to find alternatives and ban the bailiffs. Council Tax collection is inflexible, with local authorities often billing for an entire year’s charge after one missed payment – the amount due can increase tenfold in a matter of weeks. After adding additional charges, people struggling to keep up with payments can quickly fall into debt and poverty. The Trussell Trust recently reported that debt repayments to local and central government push people into destitution, leading them to food banks. Citizens Advice have calculated that their clients who have council tax arrears with court and bailiff fees added will take an average of four years just to pay off this debt. The total added to people’s debts in 2016/2017 was £560 million, the equivalent of £278 for every household in council tax arrears. This is money being sucked out of communities and from local economies that are already on the edge. Paying back high levels of debt including council tax arrears, often leads to agonising choices about whether to go without heating or food, borrow from high-cost lenders or even illegal loan sharks to survive. Some debt advisors are now saying that the people they advise no longer even have this painful choice, having to both go without heating and skip meals. The impact of debt 50% of people that are heavily in debt have a mental health problem. Poor enforcement practice is widespread with an estimated one in three bailiffs breaking the rules – bailiffs enter people’s homes (sometimes with children inside) before six am or after nine pm, using force and intimidation, seize possessions from the wrong people, and often cause trauma in the process. People who have experienced a financial crisis in the last six months are nearly eight times more likely to think about suicide. Bailiff action can have tragic consequences. There are lots of misapprehensions about what causes people to fall behind on council tax payments and argue that bailiffs are necessary for enforcement, but the main reason that people fall behind on payments is that they cannot afford them. Lower council tax collection rates are associated with areas of higher poverty and higher collection rates are associated with areas of lower poverty. Local authorities can better serve their residents by focussing on tackling the root cause of missed payments: low and insecure incomes. What needs to change There are tried and tested methods to prevent people falling into arrears, including more generous council tax reduction. Council Tax Reduction schemes discount council tax by 70%-100% for people with low incomes and more generous schemes are linked with higher collection rates. Each local authority runs their own scheme and exempting people who cannot afford payments from council tax bills can avoid the painful process of missed payments, arrears and enforcement action. Other options include greater discretionary support like hardship funds, signposting to free debt advice and payment flexibility. These steps reduce the need for costly and drawn-out court and enforcement proceedings. If it becomes clear that a resident is unable to pay due to their financial circumstances, the realistic and ethical option is to write off the debt. When debt is written off it can help people obtain a fresh start and rebuild their lives, meaning they are more likely to be able to start paying council tax again in the future. Local authorities must of course balance their responsibility to collect council tax efficiently whilst ensuring that people who cannot afford to pay are supported not punished. However, there is not any link between stricter council tax collection policies and higher council tax collection rates. In April 2018, Hammersmith & Fulham council announced an end to bailiff action, and they have subsequently seen a rise in council tax collection rates. The use of bailiffs by local authorities is ineffective, outdated and cruel – it is a stark manifestation of the failings of our economy, tax and social security system. That is why we’re calling on local authorities to learn from the best practice of other councils and ban the bailiffs. You can support the ‘ban the bailiffs’ campaign by emailing your councillor using our simple tool here. <!– –> Source
- Empowered to Succeed or Set up to Fail? May 14, 2022 3:01 pm
Unprecedented. The last two years have certainly been unprecedented for us all and the rippling effects of the covid pandemic, coupled with the impact of Brexit, are resulting in fresh economic challenges for many of us. With rising inflation, interest rates and energy prices, households are facing a rapidly increasing cost of living. At the time of writing the news is full of families who are struggling to cope. There is increasing pressure for the government to do more to help households face this rising cost in living.Any support for those who are struggling is welcome and needed but the plight of those on the lowest incomes is not a new phenomenon. Whilst there are a number of different ways of measuring poverty, before the covid-19 pandemic the government’s figures showed that a massive 8.4 million working age adults and 4.2 million children in the UK were living in relative poverty or almost 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 UK children.[1] A 2020 report from the UK government stated that ‘the link between childhood and adult poverty appears to be strengthening over time…this is deeply concerning for the opportunities of the current generation of children to be socially mobile, when nearly one in three live in relative poverty’.[2] Successive governments have taken different approaches to the longstanding issue of poverty but the issue only seems to be growing with the challenges of the pandemic only making the situation worse. In the year 2020/2021 Trussell Trust, which operates over half of the foodbanks in the UK, distributed a record 2.5million food parcels.[3] So why are so many people struggling to afford to live? Social Security: Are recipients set up to fail? You would be forgiven for thinking that the UK’s benefit system is a ‘safety net’ that ensures that no-one throughout the UK goes hungry and has enough income for basic living expenses, especially those who are out of work. However, benefits are not a barrier to people experiencing poverty. The UK benefit system is currently split between those on old style ‘legacy’ benefits (2.4million people in Dec 21) and those who have been transferred to the new Universal Credit System (5.6 million people in Dec 21).[4] The system is designed to encourage people into work using reducing benefits as an incentive. Despite multiple Government attempts to find it, there is no serious evidence this approach gets more people into work. But even for those who do get employment, work often does not offer a route out of poverty. In fact, the majority of people who live in poverty do work,[5] and 75% of children growing up in poverty live in a household where at least one person works.[6] Additionally, there are those who are in poverty but who are unable to work: more than half of the 14 million people in poverty are disabled or live with someone who is.[7] Data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) shows that in 2019/20, 54% of those on Universal Credit, 19% on Disability Benefits and 30% on Carer’s Allowance were in relative poverty after housing costs.[8] Renée works as a mental health support worker in the NHS. Her hourly rate is just above the minimum wage and, although she takes as much overtime and night shift work as she can to increase her earnings, the family still struggle to get by. With her youngest daughter three years old and her youngest son eight, Renée’s long working hours mean that she has very high childcare costs. Renée spends £115.80 a week to keep her three-year-old daughter, Zennisha, in nursery. She also pays £32.50 a week in after-school care for her 8-year-old son, Tyrone. Renée’s 80-year-old mother, Edith, has poor eyesight and trouble walking long distances, so she now lives with her daughter. Edith helps as much as she can with the childcare, and without her help Renée would struggle even more. The family live in a three-bedroom council flat on a Hackney estate. There is severe damp in the flat and one of the bedrooms in uninhabitable. The family is forced to share not just bedrooms but also beds. Edith shares a bed with her grandson, Tyrone, and Renée and her two daughters share a bed. The family can’t afford to move into better housing and the council have told them they are adequately housed.[9] A bright future? In the last few years, Universal Credit has been rolled out and sought to consolidate the different benefits paid to recipients and simplify the system. This is a worthy goal as it has the potential to reduce the cost of administrating the social security system. The government stated that ‘We have ensured that no-one will experience a reduction in the benefit they receive as a result of the introduction of Universal Credit.’[10] However, this was only achieved through ’Transitional protection‘ payments that were short term and only continued until any element of someone’s case changed. These changes could include moving house, changing their bank account or getting a job. In reality, it means that Universal Credit often results in a reduction in the benefits Despite the cost of living crisis DWP moved to the next stage of moving the most vulnerable claimants onto the new benefit this month[11]. This is a further reduction to benefits as they were frozen between 2015 and 2020. This freeze affected more than 27 million people and swept 400,000 into poverty.[12] How Are Benefits Calculated? If benefits are intended to protect those experiencing financial hardship, then there is clearly something going wrong. Why are so many people who are eligible for benefits including due to disability, unemployment and low wages struggling to make ends meet? Recent research from the Food Foundation found that 47.7% of Universal Credit claimants have experienced food insecurity in the past six months.[13] The government has released no data to show how they have chosen the figures that different groups receive e.g. single parents or couples with no children. The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) has previously […]
- The Hope Won’t Kill You May 12, 2022 9:14 am
Since the age of nine I have been a faithful and long-suffering supporter of Tottenham Hotspur. In the following decade-and-a-bit, I have never seen them win anything. I have shed more tears over football results than anything else in that period. I have watched Tottenham come second in the league twice, lose two cup finals and falter in eight semi-finals. The zenith of their near-misses came in the bright May of 2019. Tottenham had bitten and clawed their way to the final of the Champions League (a miracle in itself). Tragically, and ever-so inevitably, they conceded an avoidable penalty in the first minute of the match, which was duly scored. As Mohammed Salah wheeled away in celebration, I sucked despondently on my water bottle and sighed. Perhaps a tear welled in my eye. A firm, wrinkled, hand landed on my shoulder; it belonged to man I had never met before. “It’s the hope that kills you” he offered.Pope John Paul II is often quoted as saying “of all the unimportant things, football is the most important”. It may not surprise you, but I am inclined to agree. Football, for me, is the world in microcosm. It reflects narratives that are right at the heart of the human enterprise. Striving, personal identity, heartbreak and yes, hope in the face of adversity. These emotions, that are spilled out over the course of ninety minutes, are the same emotions that stir us to want to change the world. This is not all to say that I see football as some kind of great medicine to cure the planet’s ills, in fact I think I am definitely not saying that. Rather, it holds up a mirror and teaches us something about ourselves. There are hundreds of genuinely important things that deserve our attention, our heartbreak and our hope. There have been plenty of crushing moments in our national and international politics in recent weeks and months. To list them all could be something of an infinite exercise in self-torture, but it is right to acknowledge some of those that have shaken me personally. The passing of the Nationality and Borders Bill into law which will see the isolation and alienation of desperate people fleeing war. The accompanying scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda thus abandoning our moral duties as a country. In my work for an MP, I hear stories from constituents who limit their use of the kettle to once per day because they simply cannot afford the soaring cost of electricity. Both of these areas demonstrate devastating injustices which are affecting our communities right now. But they are also both areas in which JPIT have fundamental hope. Our Six Hopes include the hope of a society that welcomes the stranger, and for a just economy. For JPIT, our hope that we could see a system where these brutalities did not occur is our reason for being. And yet, in the face of repeated failure and slow progress, I am reminded of an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem. “That chill is in the air”, she writes, “Which the wise know well, and even have learned to bear. This joy, I know, Will soon be under snow.” These hopes, it is easy to feel, are under snow. To keep hoping in this blizzard of outrage can feel flimsy and naïve. What then are we to do? Accept the advice of the wrinkly man at the pub, that the hope will only kill us in the end? And then what? Stop hoping all together because we are met with cruelty and disappointment? What alternative does this leave us with? Detachment? Or Despair? Both of these approaches fail. “Sincerity” in the words of the band The 1975, “is scary”. It is frightening to face up to the challenges of the world, but that not does make detachment or aloofness a viable solution. Ultimately, now that we are on this planet, putting our fingers in our ears will do nothing to resolve the pain around us. Equally, despair is not a practical option. Despair consumes us like a multiplying virus. It pours black paint on our ideals and renders us inert and apathetic. Apathy will not stop the planet’s temperature from rising to catastrophic levels. Stupor will not feed the hungry. Hope, and the action that follows, just might. The full tapestry of living life in a flawed world will mean that you will, at times, experience all of these emotions. In life, like football, you will feel the agony of an irretrievable deficit and the ambivalence of a small win when the season is already lost. I am not saying there is never a place for detachment or despair. Quite the opposite, I recognise that they are natural and healthy reactions to a disorientating and difficult existence. What is deadly though, is allowing ourselves to dwell solely here. Our conference this year at JPIT is all about refusing to linger in what John Bunyan refers to as the Slough of Despond. Rather, we will be making the case for getting down on your hands and knees, and scrambling around in the mud to unearth hope. It is only by choosing to keep on hoping that good will be done. To continue to believe that small efforts at a local level play an invaluable part, building a more loving culture. I will tune in to watch Tottenham next week because I continue to hope, maybe against hope, that I may one day see them lift a trophy. I will continue to campaign for a more welcoming society and a more just economy, because I hope our future can be more merciful than our past. So no, dear old man in the pub, it is not the hope that kills you, hope is what makes life worth living. We would love you to join us for our From the Ground Up Conference: Saturday 11th June 2022, 10am-4pm – online and on-site at Oasis Hub Waterloo, London £5 Online – £12 […]
- Net Zero From the Ground Up: the case for councils May 9, 2022 10:41 am
We’re launching a new campaign, ‘Net Zero In My Neighbourhood’. This blog explores why we’re focusing on local councils for climate action, and how you can get involved.I’d like to use my car less but public transport is unreliable. I’d like to recycle more but recycling bins are only collected fortnightly. I’d like to be more energy efficient but the costs of insulating and heating my home properly are too high. If you’ve ever had thoughts like these, you’ll know that it can be difficult to live a more planet-friendly lifestyle when your local infrastructure doesn’t offer the support you need. National leaders can sign treaties and individuals can commit to make changes, but without the crucial middle layer of public services, we can struggle to connect our personal willingness to act with change on a global scale. The attention given to COP26 rightly showed the importance of international cooperation, and agreements made at that level are essential for coordinating global action. Many felt disappointed by the outcomes of talks in Glasgow, but it has helped to place climate at the top of the political agenda. If you felt disempowered and unrepresented by world leaders at COP26, you can have a real impact by engaging with your local councils. Local politics may not seem as glitzy or important as global conferences, but they have a series of responsibilities that can take the area you live in a long way towards a net zero future. The recent election of new councillors presents an opportunity for you and your church to reach out and build a relationship to work together on climate and other issues – and councils are increasingly looking to churches for community support. The case for councils So why do local councils matter for net zero? Research from the Local Government Association (LGA) suggests that local authorities have influence over roughly a third of emissions in their local areas. This is mainly due to their responsibilities in four key areas: Transport. Councils oversee local transport plans and can prioritise decarbonisation efforts. They also play a key role in supporting the transition to electric vehicle use, and developing walking and cycling infrastructure. Nottingham city council, for example, has installed more than 130 public electric vehicle charging points, and has one of the UK’s largest fleets of electric buses. Buildings. Councils play a key role in ensuring new buildings are energy efficient and old buildings can be retrofitted with better insulation and heating systems. This applies both to council-owned buildings (including council buildings, social housing, commercial units, schools, leisure centres etc.) and privately-owned buildings. They oversee planning and regulation (although they are constrained by standards set by national government) and can map the housing stock of the area. Somerset West and Taunton district council has pledged to manage its buildings and land in a biodiversity-friendly manner and is building zero-carbon council houses, as well as retrofitting existing homes across the district. Energy. Every council can encourage the development of clean energy infrastructure. They can bring relevant local partners together to develop the future of local energy, influence clean energy infrastructure implementation with planning policy, and offer support for local people and community energy organisations to undertake energy projects. Telford and Wrekin council has built a publicly-owned solar farm, which has saved more than 13,000 tonnes of CO2 and generated £1.3m for the council. Waste. Councils are responsible for the collection and disposal of household and commercial waste. They can take steps to increase recycling, implement food and garden waste collections, and improve communications about appropriate waste disposal. Stroud district council has created a local waste-management company in partnership with neighbouring authorities, and now sends the least waste per capita to landfill. Councils are well-placed to deliver on net zero as they are the master planners of places, convenors of civil society and business, and have detailed knowledge of place and people. With their understanding of the specific needs of their locality, they can ensure the transition to net zero is just and appropriate to place. Yet they are also limited in what they can achieve by the responsibilities and resources devolved to them by central government. The LGA has asked to work in closer partnership with government, calling for longer-term funding and unambiguous policy positions that allow councils to plan strategically over a number of years. As David Renard, leader of Swindon council put it, ‘net zero can only be achieved if councils are empowered’. 85% of local authorities in the UK have set a target year for reaching net zero emissions. The vast majority of these come well in advance of the national government’s own target of 2050. 88% have published climate action plans, outlining how they plan to reach net zero. For residents, the task is now to scrutinise the quality of these plans, ask for improvements, and hold councils accountable to implementing them. You can see how your council compares to others and identify what they can improve here, and see an example of a good template plan here. The role of churches Having made their plans, councils need to listen deeply to the needs of their communities in order to succeed. Churches can play a key role in facilitating this. They too have a deep understanding of their area, and often have relationships with those who are marginalised through support services like foodbanks and homeless shelters. Justice for people and planet is central to our theology. Christians can play a key role in bringing their own knowledge of the community together with this concern for justice to ensure that councils’ plans for transition are just, fair and sufficient. As the cost-of-living crisis bites, Christians should campaign for a renewable energy future that is affordable and sustainable, rather than abandon the net zero agenda and re-embrace fossil fuels. All of creation, human and otherwise, deserves a more thoughtful response than closing our eyes and ignoring the challenge that we know we must face. Take Action: Net Zero In My Neighbourhood […]
- Nationality and Borders Act 2022 April 28, 2022 3:03 pm
A statement on behalf of the Methodist Church in Britain, Baptists Together and the United Reformed ChurchWe lament the passing of the Nationality and Borders Bill into law. Compelled by the Biblical call to welcome the stranger, our denominations were outspoken in our criticism of the Bill, arguing that it would unjustly remove the rights and threaten the dignity of people who are in need of our nation’s care and protection. Over the last year, members of our churches have come together with a wide range of people to raise concerns about the government’s proposals, and to stand alongside refugees. Many have also signed up to host refugees from Ukraine, and continue to be involved in welcoming people seeking sanctuary in their own communities. This legislation will not diminish that spirit of compassion, hospitality and solidarity. We know that through such encounters we will learn more about ourselves, each other, and God. Alongside the practical work of welcome, our Churches will not stop advocating for love to be shown to our neighbours through the policies and practices of our asylum system. We will continue to push the government to open up more safe and legal routes for people who are in need of the sanctuary we can offer here in the UK. Our denominations have also joined hundreds of other organisations and charities in pledging to work towards the repeal of the UK’s ‘anti-refugee’ laws. We remain committed to working with others towards a refugee protection system that treats all people with dignity and compassion. You can read the Pledge here. <!– –> Source
Category Archives: URC News
A prayer for Ukraine
The Joint Public Issues Team has released a prayer for Ukraine. We have also gathered links to other resources that might help you and your congregation as we pray and seek peace together. God of all, with alarm and concern … Continue reading
Myanmar Coup – One Year Anniversary
A Brutal Year Smoke and flames billow from abandoned vehicles on the roadside of Kayah State, Myanmar. Shells of burnt-out cars are strewn across the road. Charred bodies lay on the floor. Thirty-five people have been killed, including women, children … Continue reading
Universal Credit: Why do we think more threats and less choice helps the unemployed?
The Government has announced a new jobs “mission”. The headline policy in this mission is to say to people who lose their job that after four weeks they will also lose their choice about what jobs they should apply for. … Continue reading
“We affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
On Monday, Russia, United States, China, UK and France came together to state that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. The ‘Reagan Gorbachev principle’, as it has become known, may seem to be a fairly … Continue reading
JPIT’s Review of 2021
2021 has brought more unexpected twists and turns. As it rolls to a close, the JPIT staff reflect on the things which brought them some joy this year (and offer some recommendations!). Wishing you a joyful and peaceful Christmas, from … Continue reading
Excrescences and Performative Cruelty
The former Welfare Reform minster has described two of his own policies as “excrescences” that were made into law because they were popular. The phrase “Performative Cruelty” has been used to describe such policies and most recently in describing the … Continue reading
Covid Plan B: Synod moderators’ updated guidance
With the Prime Minister confirming that England will move to the government’s “Plan B” in light of the spread of the Omicron variant, the United Reformed Church Synod Moderators have updated their guidance issued on 29 November, as follows: The wearing of face coverings in church will become mandatory in England, bringing England into line with existing restrictions in Scotland and Wales. Medical exemptions will, we understand, continue to apply, but in light of the rapid spread of the latest variant we would ask members to consider whether they have a genuine medical reason not to wear a face covering,… Continue reading
The cost of a decent life
As I write Christmas is only 21 sleeps away! I’m not too stressed about Christmas; I have already bought my train ticket home and I have had some good ideas about presents that I am going to buy members of … Continue reading
Nationality and Borders Bill – Write to your MP ahead of the Report stage
On 7th and 8th December, the Nationality and Borders Bill will be the focus of debate in the House of Commons. At this stage in the process (the Report stage), MPs can submit amendments, speak to those amendments selected for … Continue reading
Omicron: Synod Moderators provide updated advice to churches
As Covid rules have been strengthened in response to concern over the new Omicron variant, the United Reformed Church (URC) Synod Moderators provide updated advice to churches: The situation in Scotland and Wales has not changed with Boris Johnson’s latest announcements from Downing Street. It is a continuing legal requirement for everyone aged 12 or over in Scotland and 11 and over in Wales, unless they are exempt, to wear a face covering in indoor public space (including churches). The Prime Minister has tightened Covid regulations in England in response to the emerging Omicron variant of concern. Read More … … Continue reading