These articles were first published in our January edition of the newspaper, click here for more.
The Budget of 22 November received criticism for missing the opportunity to introduce a fully transferable marriage allowance.
It is believed that this would put struggling families at the heart of tax reforms, as it would address the burden that one-earner families face in the current taxation system. Research shows that it is the highest amongst OECD countries. The Government chose to increase the personal tax allowance.
All Saints C of E in Kingston upon Thames, held a joint birthday celebration for Jesus and Mohammed on 3 December.
In a promotional flier, the church said the service was ‘marking the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed and looking forward to the birthday of Jesus’. The hour-long service included time for Islamic prayer and was followed by birthday cake. The church organised the event alongside the Kingston Inter Faith Forum and the South London
In the last seven years, 120,000 extra deaths amongst older people have been caused by cuts to social care, said a study published in online medical journal, BMJ Open in December.
Deaths fell in the first ten years of the century, but rose in subsequent years. Analysis found that over those years cuts of £4 .6 billion have been made to the social care bill, representing a 31% real-terms cut. A co-author of the study said that cutting spending was ‘a public health disaster’ and ‘not an exaggeration to call it economic murder’.
A ComRes poll in early November showed that seven in ten Brits oppose the decriminalisation of abortion.
Its findings are in marked contrast to calls for abortion on demand from some medical groups. The poll, of more than 2,000 British adults, showed that nearly three in four of the general public believe abortion should be subject to the law. Just one in eight (12%) disagreed.
In mid-November Somerville College, Oxford rejected calls to introduce gender neutral toilets over concerns that they would threaten women’s safety.
The motion had been put forward by the college’s LGBTQ officer, Eilidh Wilson. One student said: ‘Many women have had experiences of harassment and would feel uncomfortable with this, probably a higher percentage of people than those who want a gender neutral toilet.’ A number of students said they did not want the vote to be made public for fear their peers would label them ‘transphobic’.
October saw two commissioning services to the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Scripture Readers’ Association, which has unique opportunity to befriend and share the gospel with military personnel.
Jim Henderson’s service took place at Milton Baptist Church, Stoke-on-Trent and David Hossack’s at Newcastle Baptist Church, N. Ireland. Pray for them.