Board of Deputies ‘appreciates Trump’s efforts to drive a hostage ceasefire deal’
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has issued a statement saying it “appreciates President Trump’s efforts to drive forward a hostage ceasefire deal” and it is time to bring pressure on Hamas to accept the deal and for concerted efforts towards “lasting peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider Middle East”. The 20 point peace plan was outlined by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, under which, if both sides agree, there will be an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to “the agreed upon line”, and the release of all the hostages, followed by the release of Palestinian prisoners and a surge of aid into Gaza. Gaza will then be temporarily governed by a transitional committee chaired by President Trump and including Tony Blair. Hamas is still looking at the deal, but Trump warned that if they refuse to accept, Israel will have his backing to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas”.
New Faith Minister speaking at Labour fringe event
The new Faith Minister, Miatta Fahnbulleh, is among speakers at the Faith in Labour fringe event at the Labour party conference in Liverpool today. She became the MP for Peckham in July 2024 and was immediately made a junior minister in the Department of Energy and Net Zero. She was moved to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government three weeks ago, where she took over from Lord Khan, who was faith minister for one year. Faith in Labour’s annual report says it has “radically increased engagement between faith communities and the Labour party” and seeks to expand opportunities “ensuring that faith communities continue to play a central role in shaping national politics and local life”. Other speakers at the event today include the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood MP, Seema Malhotra MP, Sarah Sackman MP, Baroness Jenny Chapman, David Smith MP, Sir Stephen Timms MP and members of Tearfund and Islamic Relief UK. Faith in Labour works in alliance with the Good Faith Partnership.
One in nine Labour members are in ‘Christians on the Left’
Faith in Labour’s director, Hannah Rich, has told Premier Christian News that one in nine Labour party members are also a member of Christians on the Left. In her interview, she warned against the Labour party mimicking Reform’s policy: “I would like to see a clearer sense of vision from Starmer. I certainly don’t think we should echo the rhetoric that we hear from Reform.” Story is here
Home Secretary: anti Muslim hatred ‘on a scale I’ve never known in my lifetime’
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said that anti-Muslim hatred is now “on a scale that I’ve never known in my lifetime”. Speaking at a fringe event organised by The Spectator, at the Labour party conference, she said: “When I was a child, I think I was seven or eight years old, that’s the first time I heard the word ‘P**i’… so it’s not as if I haven’t been racially abused before, But what is happening now is something much deeper and much more pervasive, and it does feel like it’s everywhere at the moment. Members of my own family, just in the last couple of weeks, you know, a handful of them have been called ‘f****** P**i’ in Birmingham, in places that I go to regularly with my family.” In her conference speech, she outlined tougher rules for migrants to this country. Legal migrants will have to learn English to a high standard, have a clean criminal record and volunteer in their community to be granted permanent settlement status. She said the Labour government had to “understand why so many people feel the country doesn’t work for them”.
Poll shows 80 per cent of British people like living in diverse communities
A poll of 45,300 people by green entrepreneur,Dale Vince, suggests that 80 per cent of British people enjoy mixing with people of different backgrounds, ethnicities and religion, and 66 per cent say they live in “peaceful, friendly communities”. The poll indicated cost of living is the biggest concern at 56 per cent, with the NHS next at 38 per cent, with immigration and asylum fourth, at 25 per cent. Dale Vince is the owner and founder of “Green Britain Foundation”, which campaigns for sustainable development. He said “This Giga poll tells a very different story to the one put out by those on the right who seek to brainwash the public that we are living in a constant state of fear. That’s not the case.”
Labour conference calls on government to prevent ‘genocide in Gaza’
The Labour conference have passed a motion urging the government to “employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza”, implement an arms embargo against Israel and “ensure individuals and corporations in the UK are not involved in aiding and assisting the genocide”. It made no mention of Hamas and the Jewish Chronicle reports that the chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, Ella Rose-Jacobs, said: “JLM are hugely disappointed to see that, thanks to union votes, Labour Party Conference has voted for a motion on Israel-Palestine that neglects to mention October 7 or Hamas and barely pays lip service to the 48 hostages held by terrorists in Gaza”.
Archbishop of Canterbury decision to be announced on Friday?
The Times has published a visual guide to the process for electing the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The decision was promised by today, the end of September. The name will then go to the King for approval and the announcement will come from Number Ten Downing Street. Latest speculation we are hearing is that the announcement may be made on Friday.
Church should listen and learn from survivors of Mike Piavachi abuse
Researchers at Durham University are calling on the church to listen to survivors of abuse in the wake of the Soul Survivor scandal, saying their voices had not been given a central place after the investigation into what happened. The research involved interviewing victims and survivors who reported being harmed by Mike Pilavachi, the former leader of the Soul Survivor movement. A charismatic evangelical, he built an extensive network of influence over 30 years, but his ministry ended after an internal Church of England investigation found he had engaged in an abuse of power, using his spiritual authority to control people, and conducting inappropriate relationships involving physical wrestling and massaging of young male interns. The research has been published in a report “Resetting the Balance”, and concludes that “the more powerful somebody’s ministry seems to be, the more attention needs to be paid to how that power is used”. It says no Christian leader should be above scrutiny and criticism and the church should understand that a response such as remaining silent or enabling abuse, causes further harm. It calls on the Church to listen to people who have been harmed and learn from them.
‘2025 Westminster Declaration’ to bring Christian moral compass to public life
A group of conservative Christians has launched the “2025 Westminster Declaration” calling for the UK government and leaders in public and academic life, to “respect human dignity and freedom of conscience, to bring a moral compass to public life and institutions, and to plan for the nation’s future.” The call renews a similar venture in 2010, and organisers hope a petition will attract 100,000 signatures and trigger a debate in Parliament. So far 421 have signed. The group says: “Some of the choices made by Parliament and others in authority about the nature of human life, family relationships, sex education in schools, end-of-life care, and the use and development of new technologies, are having serious consequences. By ignoring Britain’s Christian heritage we have endangered human life, weakened society, and created a fragmented nation uncoupled from its formative traditions, and without a unifying vision for its future.” The chair of the project is the former Anglican bishop, now a Catholic, Mgr Michael Nazir-Ali. Speakers at the launch included former Conservative MP Fiona Bruce, and Lord Nigel Biggar, Anglican priest and emeritus regius professor of moral and pastoral theology at the University of Oxford.
BBC Daily Service series on the Lord’s prayer within ‘Faith in the North’ initiative
BBC Radio 4 Xtra is broadcasting a special series of Daily Services exploring the Lord’s Prayer, with speakers from across the north of England. It falls within the Archbishop of York’s tour around the region in his “Faith in the North” initiative, where he speaks about the ongoing relevance of the Lord’s Prayer in today’s world. The Daily Service series starts this Friday at 0945 here
