'Ever since the Thatcher era, British politics has been defined by forms of economic and social liberalism. The right won the argument for the former and the left the argument for the latter, or so it is said. Yet in the post-crash era, this ideological settlement is beginning to fracture. The right is re-examining its… Continue reading Searching for values in a post-liberal world – by Ian Geary
Category: Politics
Breadline Britain: how practical and political action can address the scandal of food poverty
I was pleased to see this morning that Church Action on Poverty and Oxfam’s report Walking the Breadline: the scandal of food poverty in 21st Century Britain as the lead story on the front page of the Metro Newspaper. This report is a stark reminder of the reality of life for over 500,000 people are… Continue reading Breadline Britain: how practical and political action can address the scandal of food poverty
The day I met Margaret Thatcher
It was June 1990. I was 18, had just left school and had started work for Office Cleaning Services (OCS). I joined a mobile cleaning ‘hit squad’ which each day rendezvoused in a van on the Strand every morning at 6.30am. I had just finished my ‘A’ Levels but my new colleagues gave me a… Continue reading The day I met Margaret Thatcher
Why I’ve switched off Facebook today
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com 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… Continue reading Why I’ve switched off Facebook today
George! No more benefit cuts before we get a living wage
George Osborne has said that he wants to cut benefits by a further £10bn in the next five years on top of the £18bn already announced. He singled out Housing Benefit for special treatment, slamming people claiming it for having an easy life compared to people working. What Osborne chose to ignore in his rhetoric… Continue reading George! No more benefit cuts before we get a living wage
Left behind: Why the Christian Socialist Movement needs a new name
I remember someone saying to me years ago that Christian Socialist Movement (CSM) had three main problems. Firstly, it wasn’t Christian. Secondly, it wasn’t Socialist. And thirdly, it definitely wasn’t a Movement. And five years ago CSM was struggling. The average age of the membership was the on the rise, numbers were in decline, finances… Continue reading Left behind: Why the Christian Socialist Movement needs a new name
Into the Blue: Labour’s re-discovery of its conservative roots – by Ian Geary
In 2010 the theologian Phillip Blond published his influential book Red Tory which criticised both left and right wing’s failures to solving Britain’s problems. From within the Labour Party, the Jewish academic, Maurice Glasman, has led a movement called ‘Blue Labour’. It’s a collection of ideas which emphasises the centrality of faith institutions, the importance… Continue reading Into the Blue: Labour’s re-discovery of its conservative roots – by Ian Geary
Don’t buy the lies about Executive Pay: Reward people for the contribution they make
“Did you know that the Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Council gets paid £173,000 per year, which is over 14 times the least well paid person in the Council who get by on £12,145?” Over the last month, I've been knocking on peoples' doors asking them if they want to sign the local Green Party's Fair… Continue reading Don’t buy the lies about Executive Pay: Reward people for the contribution they make
In the mixer…or just mixed up? Why Baroness Warsi is wrong about secularism – by Ronnie Stockton
This is a guest post written by Ronnie Stockton I’m not averse to the odd footy cliche, so obviously the ‘in the mixer’ tagline of yesterday's R&R post caught my eye. As an atheist, I do find that faith is a 'funny old game' and I was intrigued by the passionate debates created by Baroness Warsi's article about … Continue reading In the mixer…or just mixed up? Why Baroness Warsi is wrong about secularism – by Ronnie Stockton
The Bideford prayer ruling: not so much anti-faith as undemocratic
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com My concern about the Bideford Town Council ruling which bans prayer from meetings is not because it is anti-faith. It is more because it is undemocratic. Undemocratic The judge ruled that the Local Government Act 1972 didn’t give the Council power to have prayers. But surely in a democratic… Continue reading The Bideford prayer ruling: not so much anti-faith as undemocratic
Grace + Truth 