UK & Ireland in Brief

Unlike the rest of the UK, abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland – except in the circumstance that the mother will die as a result of giving birth. However, the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) report into abortion law in Northern Ireland proposed that the law be changed.

This is in spite of the fact that over 88.7% of the submissions from the NI public did not support a change. The committee, made up entirely of MPs from Great Britain with not a single member representing any part of Northern Ireland, launched the inquiry in September 2018.

A Christian school’s pastoral assistant is challenging a Gloucestershire school’s decision to dismiss her for gross misconduct after she shared two Facebook posts that raised concerns about sex education at a different school (which her children attend).

The Church of England school where her children are students attend use the same materials protested against in Birmingham. The dismissed member of staff was told her views made her ‘no longer suitable to work with children’ as they may exert influence over vulnerable pupils.

The chairman of the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) ethics committee resigned in May in protest at the college ending its long-standing opposition to assisted suicide.

Professor Albert Weale complained that the RCP’s decision was ‘unfair’ and ‘not coherent’. Two other members of the committee have also walked out.

Figures from April published by the National Churches Trust show that there are more churches than pubs in the UK.

There are around 39,000 pubs in the UK after many closures over recent years, but around 40,300 church buildings being used for worship. There are around 50,000 congregations, as some worship in school halls or share space in church buildings.

A pro-transsexual group linked to damaging gender stereotypes has been supported by Prince Harry’s ‘Heads Together’ mental health charity.

The Prince was thanked for his ‘unwavering support’ by the Mermaids group (en September 2018), which his charity described as an ‘important’ organisation. The Royal Foundation, which Prince Harry helps to lead, also gave Mermaids its endorsement.

The Evangelical Alliance announced that Steve Clifford, its general director, will step down from his role at the end of 2019.

Since April 2009, Clifford has helped the church have confidence in the power of the gospel and develop a clear voice in public life. The Bradford-born Christian leader has brought together the diverse evangelical communities in the UK, so that together they have been able to make Jesus known.