Key Quotes for 2012

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Last update: Wednesday 25th March




David Cameron insisted that Labour should start “turning back” donations from the Unite union after its general secretary called for civil disobedience during the London Olympics. Labour leader Ed Miliband described Len McCluskey’s comments and threat of strike action during the Games as “totally unacceptable and wrong.” But the Prime Ministers said Mr Milibands intervention, in a message on Twitter, was not enough given Unites financial support for Labour.
Politics	The Sentinel – 1st March 2012



Youngsters on the Government’s work experience scheme will be able to leave after a week without facing benefits sanctions under a changed announced by ministers. It follows a meeting with scores of employers, after protests by activists who complained that youngsters were being forced to work for nothing. The Department for Work and Pensions said sanctions would still apply for cases of gross misconduct, such as stealing, but volunteers would be able to leave after a week without losing their benefits.
Young People	The Sentinel – 1st March 2012



Heath Secretary Andrew Lansley’s controversial NHS Reforms have suffered another blow after a former chief executive of the service branded the plans “a mess”. With the Health and Social Care Bill set to resume it’s troubled passage in the Lord’s today, Lord Crisp said the legislation was “unnecessary, confused and confusing”. Meanwhile, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) was preparing for an emergency general meeting which could see it ballot it’s members on whether to join other royal colleges in calling for the bill to be dropped.
Health	The Sentinel – 27th February 2012



The Government is to expand its system of Biometric Residence Permits (BRPS) to tackle immigration abuse and illegal working, the Home Office has announced. Immigration Minister Damien Green said the number of foreign nationals issued with BRPS, which verify a person’s right to be in the country, will double to 400,000 a year. The widening of the system will means that all non-EEA nationals applying to remain the UK for more than six months will now be covered by the compulsory permits.
Politics	The Sentinel – 27th February 2012



Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, yesterday challenged David Cameron to take on his Liberal Democrat partners and push through reforms making it easier for employers to fire and hire staff. Dr Fox warned that unless the Prime Minster was prepared to override the Liberal Democrats he would consign Britain to a future of “managed decline”.
Politics	The Sentinel – 27th February 2012



Taxpayer-backed Royal Bank of Scotland has unveiled losses of £2 billion and paid staff nearly £1 billion in bonuses. RBS, which is 82 per cent state owned, paid £785 million in bonuses last year including £390 million for its 17,000 investment bankers. While the total pot is 43 percent lower than the previous year, it follows a period in which the bank announced thousands of job cuts and chief executive Stephen Hester waived his £963,000 all-shares bonus.
Money	The Sentinel – 24th February 2012



Exam boards were today ordered to tighten up GCSE’s in fours subjects, amid fears that they were becoming easier. The exam regulator Ofqual is making changes to GCSE’s in English Literature, Maths, History and Geography to ensure students study the whole curriculum. It is understood that it comes after concerns were raised that pupils were sitting papers and only studying topics that were likely to come up in the exams. The changes will be fully implemented by September 2013.
Education	The Sentinel – 24th February 2012



Religious belief is being “gently squeezed” from public life, but Christians do not face persecution, and the campaigning activity of some Christian organisations has been counter-productive. These are the key findings of the preliminary report of the freedom of Christians in the UK, Clearing the Ground, produced by a cross-party group of Christian MP’s, chaired by the Conservative MP Gary Streeter. The groups six-month inquiry received 56 written submissions, and heard evidence from witnesses including the director of Mission and Public Affairs at the Archbishops’ Council, the Revd Dr Malcolm Brown. Launched in Westminster on Monday, the report highlights a “narrowing of the space for the articulation, expression and demonstration of Christian belief” caused by social, cultural and legal changes over the past ten years. It finds that the lack of guidance that accompanied the Equality Act has resulted in the creation of a “hierarchy of rights” in which religious belief is placed below other protected characteristics. It argues that indications from court judgements that “sexual orientation takes precedence, and religious belief is required to adapt in the light of this” have led to “an unacceptable and unsustainable situation”.
Religious Persecution	Church Times – March 2012



The Coalition for Marriage strongly opposes the redefinition of marriage on the basis that, while same-sex couples may choose to have a civil partnership, no one has the right to redefine marriage for the rest of us. Public opinion supports this view and the Coalition For Marriage calls on Christians and people everywhere to stimulate a public debate and mobilise popular opposition to prevent this unwelcome proposal becoming a reality. Don Horrocks, head of public affairs for the Evangelical Alliance, said: “We must be prepared for the long haul on this landmark issue. Many people are already speaking of the futility of opposition, but we are confidant that with strong, popular support we can win the campaign to protect marriage. Marriage is much more than a legal commitment but it is being steadily reduced and weakened by proposals such as this. If these proposals go through the consequences for society will be huge. The church has always been at the forefront of promoting the positive benefits of marriage between one man and one woman and together with society as a whole Christians everywhere should be ready to stand up for marriage.”
Politics	Idea – March 2012



The government is considering watering down plans to strip child benefit from better-off families, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said yesterday. The news came as disgruntled Conservative backbenchers warned of a rebellion to block the plan. Meanwhile Labour urged the Coalition to drop changes to tax credits. From January 2013, couples with at least one parent earning more than £42,745 a year, the 40 percent tax rate threshold, were due to lose their payments, saving the Treasury around £1 billion.
Politics	The Sentinel – 6th March 2012



In it’s submission to the House of Bishops review group on civil partnerships (made public on 2 February) the LGBT Anglican Coalition called on the Church of England to allow churches to register civil partnerships, to authorise blessing services and to end it’s ban on bishops entering civil partnerships. The paper states: “As social attitudes towards those in same-sex relationships have become increasingly open and accepting, the Church of England is becoming increasingly isolated. This is in turn damaging both our mission and our ability to provide pastoral care to those in our parishes, congregations and clergy.”
Church	Reform – March 2012



Representatives of religious groups, the British Humanist Association and teaching associations have joined together to support a new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on RE, chaired by Stephen Lloyd MP. The group aims to focus on safeguarding the inclusion of religious education in schools and to explore how the subject can continue to be useful to young people. A poll by the REC revealed that 80 per cent of young people studying RE say that it promotes better understanding of religion and beliefs.
Education	The War Cry – February 2012



The international Christian organisation Open Doors released its annual World Watch List in January, naming the 50 countries where it says Christians face the worst persecution. For the first time in the 20 years that the list has been compiled, the situation for Christians did not improve in any country, Open Doors said. For the tenth year running, North Korea topped the list. The top five countries also include Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Iran. The country where conditions for Christians have deteriorated most since the 2011 report is Nigeria. At least 300 Christians were killed last year and sectarian violence has intensified over recent weeks.
Religious Persecution	Life And Work - March 2012



Polygamists in America are continuing their attempt to overturn Utah’s law against bigamy, it was reported in January. Kody Brown and his four ‘wives’ (who filed a lawsuit in July 2011) claim that Utah’s bigamy law is unconstitutional because it violates their right to privacy. Their lawyers are using historical Supreme Court rulings, such as a case from 2003 when judges ruled that homosexual acts in private were protected by the US constitution, to argue against the law.
Social Issues	Evangelicals Now - March 2012



An analysis of 20 years’ worth of school suspension rates in the USA (published in October 2011) shows that the greatest influence on boys’ behaviour at school is not the type of school they attend or the teacher they have, but the type of home in which they’re being raised. Researchers at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business found that boys in intact homes with both parents had the least behavioural problems and school suspensions, while boys being raised by single mothers had the most. This was not found to be the case among girls, however.
Young People	Evangelicals Now - March 2012

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