Warwickshire County Council has just gone through a 6 month process to slash 26% from a budget over 4 years that had already been cut by a similar amount since 2010. Up and down the UK the picture is the same: older peoples' care, firefighters, road maintenance and libraries all under threat. As we approached… Continue reading Democracy in action…or not
Author: Jonathan Chilvers
Jonathan Chilvers...leads a homeless project in the middle of Leamington and is part of Jubilee Church Leamington. He is a Green Party County Councillor in Warwickshire, but is not writing on behalf of any of the above. Jonathan loves his wife and two beautiful daughters. Follow or contact him via Twitter: @jonchilvers
The day they died: JFK, Aldous Huxley and CS Lewis on life, liberty & sainthood
JFK, Aldous Huxley and CS Lewis have all had a significant impact on my life and all died on the same day 50 years ago next week- 22 November 1963. Coincidentally, it's also St. Cecilia's day - the patron saint of music. Brave New World I read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley in my… Continue reading The day they died: JFK, Aldous Huxley and CS Lewis on life, liberty & sainthood
It’s a 2 poppy day
This November I'll be wearing two poppies - the regular red poppy and the white peace poppy. White Poppies White poppies were first distributed in 1933 by the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) and are intended as a challenge to the 'continuing drive to war'. In my recent post on Syria I quoted the founder of… Continue reading It’s a 2 poppy day
10 Reasons why partnership working doesn’t happen
Everyone in government and charitable agencies is quick to say how committed to partnership working they are. Everyone agrees on the need to join up, work together and be smarter, but so often it doesn’t happen. Here’s my top ten reasons why: 1. We don’t do the arguing at the start Us British are not… Continue reading 10 Reasons why partnership working doesn’t happen
How to get elected and hold onto your soul
Back in May I was elected to the County Council. In amongst all the congratulations from friends, people from church and colleagues I sensed a curious cognitive dissonance that went something like this: “You’re now a politician. All politicians are lying, power-grabbing such and suches in suits, but…well, we know you. You’re Jon with the… Continue reading How to get elected and hold onto your soul
Backing off Syria strikes doesn’t mean sitting idly by
Listen to the military hawks this week and you would think that by voting against military intervention the UK was sitting on its hands and doing nothing about an horrific civil war killing thousands and creating millions of refugees. Worse still it’s suggested that our international standing is ruined because we’re ‘doing nothing’ – as… Continue reading Backing off Syria strikes doesn’t mean sitting idly by
It’s true – we ask Prince Harry to be a killer
Prince Harry killed people in Afghanistan. It's true. Soldiers not only die protecting the UK and us, they also kill to do it as well. Underneath, sometimes far underneath we all know this, but we leave the thought mostly buried under a fiver in the tin for Help for Heroes and a sad unease as… Continue reading It’s true – we ask Prince Harry to be a killer
Why I’ve switched off Facebook today
Along with thousands of others I’m participating in a boycott (is abstention a better word?!) from Facebook today for one day to highlight their UK tax dodging. Facebook earned £175,000,000 in advertising sales in the UK in 2011, they paid just £196,000 in UK tax. That’s just 0.1% of their turnover compared to the corporation… Continue reading Why I’ve switched off Facebook today
“Hard cases make bad law” – 3 principles for arguing about alcohol pricing
The government has announced its plan to set a minimum price of 45p per unit for alcohol. This will mainly affect strong beer, cheap wine and spirit bottles, but not pubs. This is a big change and they’ll be a swirling vat of arguments over the next few weeks, so here’s three principles to bear… Continue reading “Hard cases make bad law” – 3 principles for arguing about alcohol pricing
Congo violence is closer to home than we think
Fighting in the Congo between the ‘M23’ rebels and FARDC government troops reached Goma on the border with Rwanda today. The city of almost 400,000 people, almost the size of Bristol, has so far escaped direct fighting. Hundreds of thousands have already fled their homes in the East of the country this year trying to… Continue reading Congo violence is closer to home than we think
Grace + Truth 