Tag: Public Theology

Breaking International Law? (2) The Internal Market Bill

Is the UK Government in a position where it has been forced to go back on its treaty agreements with the EU through the Withdrawal Agreement?  In brief, the issue is this. We have devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is therefore possible for those governments to implement legislation relating to food… Continue reading Breaking International Law? (2) The Internal Market Bill

Specifically Wrong

Today asked about the Government’s Brexit policy, a minister, Brandon Lewis stated that yes the Government would break international law … in a specific way. You heard that right. A minister acknowledged intention to break a law. Not only that, the slightly weird defence was introduced that it was only in a specific way. That… Continue reading Specifically Wrong

Do we need to learn to doubt?

Schools are returning after lockdown and the summer break, soon students will be heading off to University too.  So what should they be learning? What should professors and tutors be teaching their students? Here is one suggested list. It seems a good list doesn’t it? I agree that we should be teaching students how to… Continue reading Do we need to learn to doubt?

The Good of the City (Proverbs 11)

Why does it matter how our politicians, celebrities and business leaders behave? Why the tabloid obsession with their misdemeanours? Partly it’s just gossip. But a big part of it links to a sense of justice – that good people should do well and when they do, we all do well. It’s why we get behind… Continue reading The Good of the City (Proverbs 11)

My country right or wrong?

“Patriotism is the last resort of a scoundrel” This was the classic first term subject for the University debating club to get their teeth into.  Of course, each year we would make the mistake of debating whether or not patriotism was a good or bad thing. In so doing, we missed the point that the… Continue reading My country right or wrong?

The responsibility of universities and the A- Level results scandal

So now the fall-out from the response to the fall out starts. Attention has moved from our concern about the impact of last week’s grading debacle on students to how it will affect Universities. Universities are now being presented as the new victims. They had no choice but to offer places to those who met… Continue reading The responsibility of universities and the A- Level results scandal

The A Level Results scandal – a moral issue

I have written already about some aspects of the A Level results fiasco.  So far I’ve written about the political fall out and the technical and administrative errors.  It is important when we consider things that we think through all the implications. However, central to the scandal is a moral issue. The moral issue is… Continue reading The A Level Results scandal – a moral issue

The A Level Results scandal – a political disaster

Whatever you may think of previous education secretaries, I suspect that even the most controversial (Ken Baker, Ken Clarke, David Blunkett or even Michael Gove) would not have made such a horrendous hash of exam grades during the pandemic. First of all, they would not have come out and said that exam grades based on… Continue reading The A Level Results scandal – a political disaster

Losing Sleep and a hill to die on

The other day I talked about the issues we choose to lose sleep about and not feeling compelled to lose sleep about everything that others are passionate about.  Well, I’ve just started reading a book by Gavin Ortlund called “Choosing which hill to die on.”  The imagery is about defending your position in battle and… Continue reading Losing Sleep and a hill to die on