‘Knife edge’ vote on Assisted Dying Bill takes place today
MPs vote today on the Assisted Dying Bill at the third reading, after a debate which starts at 9.30 am. When the Bill came before the House in November last year, at the second reading, it passed by 55 votes – 330: 275. Since then it has gone through intense scrutiny during 90 hours of deliberation in the committee stage, with more than 600 amendments tabled and discussed. Around one-third of these amendments were agreed upon, with key changes like replacing High Court approval with expert panels, establishing a Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner, extending the implementation timeline to four years, and strengthening doctor training and independent advocacy. The bill, introduced by Kim Leadbeater MP, allows people with six months left to live, to request an assisted death.
Many MPs have changed their mind and will now vote against the bill, with the Telegraph reporting that the vote is on a knife edge, as Labour MPs “turn on Assisted Dying Bill”. At 8pm last night, political commentator “Guido Fawkes” calculated that “154 MPs are planning to vote for it, 144 plan to vote against it, 22 remain undecided and 21 are due to abstain”. He says 16 MPs have declared they will now vote against, but it needs 28 MPs to change their vote if the bill is to be defeated. He says: “Guido has been shown modelling suggesting it will likely be within 10 votes either way, with many expected to make up their minds during the debate. It will come down to which MPs decide to abstain, and which side gets their vote out”. Nick Watts on BBC Newsnight said only four MPs have switched sides to vote against. Emily Thornberry MP said she has switched and will vote for.
Lawyers have suggested that there are so many amendments remaining, there is a risk that the parliamentary session may end before the Bill is able to progress further, as was the case in 2021. 50 Labour MPs have written to the Leader of the House, Lucy Powell, asking for the final vote to be postponed allowing more time to discuss and scrutinise the bill.
Board of Deputies urges safe passage from Israel for stranded Brits
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has issued a statement calling on the government to expedite and effectively communicate the Government’s plans to ensure safe passage for British citizens from Israel. It says it is concerned about British citizens unable to leave and the government should follow the example set by other nations. Poland and Germany have laid on coaches out of the country and charter flights home, whereas the foreign office laid on extra staff in Jordan to provide advice about onward travel. Meanwhile, British embassy staff have been evacuated from Tel Aviv. The Board has issued its own detailed advice for British citizens trying to leave Israel, with names of crossings and opening times. It has also relayed Foreign Office advice for Brits in Israel to register their presence with them. Jewish News reports on stories of British Jews stuck in Israel, and the Jewish Chronicle speaks to people complaining about the Foreign Office response.
Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem urges end to ‘terrifying’ conflict
Dr Hosam E Naoum, Archbishop of Jerusalem and President Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, has issued a pastoral letter in response to conflict between Israel and Iran, which he describes as a “terrifying situation”. He says the nations at war reside entirely within his church boundaries and many church members have endured direct attacks, with the prospect of cross border escalation. He appeals for prayer, for the leaders to bring the violence to a swift conclusion and for warring parties to resolve their differences through peaceful negotiations. Christians should not yield to fear and despair, but become bridge builders in their communities, promoting understanding, mutual respect, and goodwill. He ended by saying: “I extend an invitation to our fellow Anglicans across the wider Communion, as well as all those of goodwill, to intercede on our behalf, that we might collectively be strengthened to embody the role of peacemakers as mutual members of the larger Body of Christ”. Church Times report here.
US Palestinian Christian group condemns Israel’s action against Iran
The US based Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace has issued a statement saying it “unequivocally condemns the recent unprovoked military attack by the State of Israel on the sovereign nation of Iran. This grave violation of international law not only threatens regional and global stability but endangers innocent lives across the Middle East—including those of vulnerable Christian communities in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and beyond. This act of aggression, carried out without legitimate provocation or legal justification, represents a reckless escalation with potential for catastrophic consequences. As a community of Palestinian Christians committed to justice, reconciliation, and nonviolence, we view this assault as a direct threat to peace in the region, to international norms, and to the sanctity of all human life”.
World Vision highlights ‘catastrophe’ of severe hunger following cuts to food assistance
The aid agency World Vision says 58 per cent of refugees and displaced people in 53 countries are experiencing severe hunger. This is equivalent to 295 million people including 122 million children. It bases this on a survey conducted in partnership with the World Food Programme, among 5,000 households in 13 crisis-affected contexts, alongside focus groups and interviews. Titled “Hunger, Harm, and Hard Choices,” the report is published today, World Refugee Day, and highlights a dangerous surge in hunger, child labour, forced marriage, school dropouts, and child trafficking – much of it among displaced people. It says global food insecurity is escalating due to economic shocks, climate change, and conflict, yet humanitarian funding remains critically low and the survey shows the impact of reduced food assistance. Amanda Rives, of World Vision International, said this is an unconscionable, humanitarian catastrophe.
Pope’s Jubilee economists demand urgent reform of international finance system
Thirty world renowned economists in the Pope’s Jubilee Commission, are publishing a report today calling for urgent reform of the international financial system, to tackle escalating debt and development crises. The report group was set up for the Catholic church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, which focuses on debt, forgiveness and tackling injustice and inequality. Further details will be announced later this morning.
Pope visits Vatican’s ‘invaluable’ shortwave radio centre
Pope Leo XIV has visited the Vatican Radio shortwave transmission centre in the town of Santa Maria di Galeria, 20 miles outside Rome, and expressed gratitude for the work carried out there and for a service that reaches places “where few broadcasters are able to go.” He sat in the control room watching transmissions and later told the staff that during his missionary work in Latin America and Africa, it was invaluable to be able to receive Vatican Radio’s shortwave transmissions. The Radio Centre was inaugurated by Pope Pius XII in 1957, and was last visited by a Pope in 1991, St. John Paul II. He is reported to have asked questions about the operation of the antennas, broadcasts, and the digital disaster recovery system. The visit fell on the day of his 43rd anniversary of priestly ordination.
Former Ampleforth housemaster jailed for sexually abusing boys
A monk and former housemaster at Ampleforth College, who sexually abused two pupils, has been jailed for seven years. Michael James Callaghan, known as Father James, was convicted last month of 12 counts of indecent assault on one pupil in the 1990s and one count of sexual assault on another teenager in the 2010s. Judge Richard Clews told Callaghan, who is 71, that he had brought the Catholic church and the school into serious disrepute. The court heard that Callaghan had sought medical help to address his attraction to boys before he joined Ampleforth, and he had expressed remorse. He has been put on the sex offenders register for life. Ampleforth College has offered a “heartfelt apology” to the victims and their families, and has overhauled its safeguarding systems.
Portable ‘tiny church’ set up in former fishing port in Denmark
A portable “tiny church” with metal poles and wooden walls has been set up in a former fishing port on the outskirts of Copenhagen, to cater for an influx of residents in new housing projects. It has twelve sides, a skylight, covers 76 square metres, and seats 40 to 50 people. The Associated Press reports that the “Tiny Church” concept was first seen in Amsterdam suburb Almere Poort, where Dutch church leaders saw the need for a place where people could meet, talk and worship. This latest Danish version is run by the local Evangelical-Lutheran Hans Egedes Church, with a parish priest, Christian Bro. He told AP: “Here, we have a very, very small church and that creates a different room, another feeling.” It’s fully portable with metal stilts that can be easily picked up and moved elsewhere.
