Boris Johnson’s plan to increase national insurance contributions to raise £12bn for the NHS and social care could pose a “serious problem” for low-income workers, the archbishop of Canterbury has said.Justin Welby said privileging wealthy pensioners over the poorest young people was “not a people-centred policy”, as he stressed the need for “intergenerational equity”.His comments come after Tory MPs voted through a proposal to raise national insurance contributions (NICs) by 1.25 percentage points through a new ringfenced tax known as the “health and social care levy”.Under the plan, patients entering the social care system from October 2023 will not have to pay more than £86,000 in their lifetime – excluding food and accommodation. More means-tested support will also be provided for those with assets of between £20,000 and £100,000.The policy was announced earlier this week and put to a snap vote in the Commons in an attempt to stymie Tory rebels.Concerns have been raised by the care sector, some Conservative backbenchers and thinktanks that ministers are failing to tackle the issue quickly enough by not implementing the social care changes for two years, and refusing to guarantee that people will not have to sell their home to pay even when the changes do come into effect. Some say the plan places an unfair burden on poorer workers.Asked whether it was right that lower-income workers would pay disproportionately more, given pension and renting income was not covered by the levy, he said: “That is a very serious moral question. If we – as it were – privilege the wealthy older against the poorest younger, that will not work. That’s not a people-centred policy.“The policy needs to be centred on people and care for the poorest, as well as ensuring that we have an embedded system that will work and is acceptable to all.“As I say, the test is not just in terms of money, the test is in terms of effectiveness. If it pushes more young people into poverty and means they can’t get their own house and things like that, which I’m aware of from our own children – and ourselves for that matter, because we don’t own our house in this country – that is going to be a really serious problem, and that is wrong. It needs to be done fairly between the generations – that’s part of intergenerational reconciliation.”
Our Heritage Open Days will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 11th and 12th, from 2pm to 5pm.There will be bell ringing demonstrations, the chance for visitors to have a go at bell ringing. And the bells can be viewed in the bell tower via a tower camera that relays the images onto a screen in church.We’ll also be staging the popular teddy bear parachute drops as well as a local history display featuring Dunsfold families.Add to the fun some quiz sheets and refreshments available throughout the afternoons and all the family can enjoy a visit to a church that was described by William Morris as “the most beautiful church in all England.”
The English National Ballet’s translucent new home, a floating church and the capital’s largest club football stadium are among 46 winners of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) London Awards 2021.With the cancellation of the 2020 RIBA awards circuit due to the coronavirus pandemic, some of today’s winning projects were actually completed and opened as long ago as early 2019.The RIBA London awards are the last of the UK regions to take place for 2021. Judges will now consider all regional winners to select just six to be shortlisted for the prestigious Stirling Prize - the award for the ‘Best Building in the UK’.The only water-borne winner is a converted barge (see photo) by Denizen Works, commissioned by the Diocese of London as a mobile church and versatile cultural space that will serve communities along the banks of the Regent’s Canal.The concertina roof at the bow of the boat opens heavenwards like a fan and is equipped with a large round skylight allowing the relatively low-ceilinged boat to transform into an imposing place of worship.The roof retracts to allow the mobile church to pass under low bridges with ease.
A “pop up” church based on an allotment gave the term “church plant” a whole new meaning when multiple baptisms and confirmations took place amongst vegetables and flowers.The three child and one adult baptism, and two adult confirmations, were celebrated by the Bishop of Lancaster, Dr Jill Duff (see photo). They were the first baptisms and confirmations held by the new church on the Higher Croft housing estate in Blackburn. The church grew out of small group meetings in the community library on the estate discussing the big questions in life and praying for people. Lockdown meant it was temporarily homeless but as restrictions eased, it relocated to a disused former allotment. The church now has a congregation of around 50 after being founded in 2018 by Licensed Lay Minister and urban evangelist Sharon Collins.She said: “The weekend of the confirmations and baptisms, people brought their families and friends who would not normally have come to church. “There was a buffet and music and they all saw the love of Jesus. We hope that this time next year the numbers coming forward for baptism will have significantly increased.” Bishop Jill said: “It’s the only church I know where people give their apologies when they can’t come. It’s as if they don’t want to miss out on the heavenly banquet.”More information: Pop Up Church also supports a weekly football session on the estate run by Ambassadors Football, a Christian sports charity. They currently have 57 children registered to take part. Sharon Collins’ post is supported by Strategic Development Funding from The Church of England and with local resources and support from the Diocese of Blackburn. Sharon also trains people for urban evangelism through the M:Power programme in Blackburn.
