Assisted Dying bill comes back to the Commons today
The Assisted Dying Bill comes back not the Commons today, an identical bill to one which fell when the Lords ran out of time to deal with all the amendments. The original bill passed in the Commons by 23 votes in June 2025, but since then a new Prime Minister has been appointed and a new cabinet formed, and there is uncertainty over the bill’s fate today. The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has made clear his view that that palliative and social care need to be fixed first. He said it was “very challenging” to introduce the wider debate when people could not have confidence that they would receive that care. The bill would allow adults with fewer than six months to live to be given help to end their life. The debate starts at 9.30 am.
The Archbishop of Westminster, Richard Moth, issued a statement yesterday urging MPs to reject the bill, which he said is “deeply flawed” amid fears that vulnerable people would feel pressured into ending their lives. He said: “To genuinely help the terminally ill we need an improvement in compassionate, high-quality palliative care, and proper hospice funding”. His statement is here.
Supporters of the bill say if it passes and goes to the Lords again, they will use the Parliament Act to force it through. But The Guardian reports that two MPs who voted for and against the bill, Gareth Snell and Meg Hiller, have urged campaigners not to do this, saying that this would lead to a “constitutional showdown with far-reaching consequences”.
Burnham to end ban on Catholic and Jewish PMs advising on bishops
The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who is Catholic, has made a written statement to the House of Commons saying he will introduce a Bill to allow Catholics and Jews to advise the King on the appointment of bishops in the Church of England and Church of Scotland. They are prevented from advising the Sovereign on such appointments under the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 and the Jews Relief Act 1858. For now, he has transferred his constitutional responsibility to advise the Sovereign on church appointments to the Lord Chancellor. But his statement says: “It is, however, unacceptable for there to be a legislative bar against people of any faith performing all the functions of my office. The Government will therefore introduce a Bill at the earliest possible opportunity to correct this antiquated and archaic anomaly”.
25th anniversary of 9/11 marked today
Today is the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, in which 2,977 people were killed, including 67 British citizens. The main act of commemoration is a ceremony at Ground Zero where the names of those killed are read out by relatives, followed by moments of silence including one for those who died from illnesses linked to 9/11 exposure. A memorial mass will be held at St Patrick’s Cathedral, and there will be services at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, beside Ground Zero, and at St Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue. The Conservative MP Alan Mak has tabled an adjournment debate on the anniversary, and an early day motion has been tabled by MPs including Jim Shannon, paying tribute to first responders and acknowledging that “9/11 was a world-shifting event that fundamentally reshaped global security, international relations, and our collective consciousness bravery”. Maira Butt reports for us on the impact of 9/11 on British Muslims, with a rise in Islamophobia, fear of radicalisation, the launch of Prevent, increased security measures and fractures within communities still being healed today. Read Maira’s report here.
Archbishop of York welcomes sanctions on Israeli settlements on the West Bank
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has welcomed the government’s announcement of sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He told the House of Lords that he had come face to face with settler militia and witnessed their impact. He said: “We have called for such principled action over many years. We believe that these measures are just, necessary and, frankly, overdue”. He asked whether the government accepted that further measures were needed to deter Israeli banks from tendering for work to build in E1, an area of land east of Jerusalem. Responding, the minister Lord Woods, said the government’s measures targeted any company that assists or profits from the expansion of settlements. He said both Muslims and Christians are victims of settlement expansion. Hansard account of Lords debate here.
How a visit by Hindu swamis to the Eiffel Tower became a national argument about equality
Two investigations are underway in Paris, after a strike at the Eiffel Tower over the removal of women staff members when a group of Hindus and monks visited. One is by the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, SETE, which operates the tower, and the other is by the City of Paris, which is the supervisory authority. They will be looking at how the decision to move the women was made and why. The delegation, from the BAPS Hindu movement, was in Paris for the opening of a new temple. BAPS has apologised for any hurt or inconvenience, but says no-one was denied access to the Tower. Tilak Parekh reports on how a visit by Hindu monks to pray for peace quickly became a national argument about equality, secularism, and religious liberty. Read his explainer here.
Chief Rabbi’s message for Rosh Hashanah
The Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has issued a message for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which is celebrated from sunset this evening. The Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has issued a message for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which is celebrated from sunset this evening. The year is 5787, calculated by adding together the ages and generations recorded in the Bible, beginning with Adam and continuing through the biblical genealogies and historical events. Sir Ephraim said the Jewish community had faced terror and anti-Jewish hatred this year, but he advised: “Stand tall as Jews. Be proud of who you are, even when it is difficult.” Factsheet here
Evangelist cleared over Sodom and Gomorrah tracts in Soho
A 72-year-old man who distributed tracts in Soho telling the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, has been found not guilty of causing alarm or distress under the public order act. Two people said they were distressed by the tract’s treatment of homosexuality and LGBT issues, and the area around Old Compton Street should be regarded as a safe space for LGBT people. Magistrates judged the material to be offensive and that it had caused upset but ruled that the prosecution had not proved all the elements required for a criminal conviction. They said the threshold for restricting freedom of expression had not been met. His case was taken up by Christian Concern.
Alastair Campbell attended Bible studies at Lambeth Palace
The Church Times has revealed that Alastair Campbell, the former director of communications at Number Ten who famously said “we don’t do God”, attended Bible studies led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at Lambeth Palace in 2024. He said Justin Welby invited him to attend: “I went along to several of these very interesting occasions, where I think I was probably the only atheist in the room.” Speaking to Church Times reporter James Macintyre, he said he disliked what he called “the anti-faith thing”, and described moments which seemed close to a revelation. Setting the record straight, he said he was “perfectly happy for politicians to talk about their faith, but I always think it’s dangerous to link it to your own politics…. I’ve always been interested in faith. I’m very interested in faith.” And he was proud to say “I’m a pro-faith atheist”. The story is here
