UCB Broadcast December 2008

Queen’s Speech

The Queen’s speech last week opened the new session of Parliament. Amid the ceremony and ermine robes the speech was sidelined by the controversy surrounding the arrest of Conservative MP Damian Green for leaking information from the Home Office to several newspapers.

The Speech set out the Government’s agenda for the forthcoming year, and in contrast to previous years where there are usually 20 bills to consider on this occasion there were only 13. The focus of the speech and the subsequent parliamentary debate centred on economic questions.

The urgent situation of the economy has meant that parliamentary time has been made for emergency legislation. Therefore other matters will fall off the legislative timetable.

Please pray for the Government as they bring these new laws before parliament in the forthcoming year. Pray for wisdom and guidance in all the decisions they make.

Equalities Bill

One bill that did make the cut into the Queen’s speech was the single Equality Bill. This will consolidate all existing equality legislation and legal instruments into one piece of law.

The Government are also seeking to expand the law through this bill, to create a stronger notion of rights across all strands, encompassing age, gender, race, sexuality, disability and religion and belief.

While it is encouraging that the Government are willing to create space for religion and belief within the equalities and human rights framework, there is concern that it will be treated as a poor partner to the other strands.

Please pray for those Christians involved in the development of this piece of legislation. Pray that adequate protection will be given to Christian beliefs and the freedom to act on them.

This bill will probably be introduced in February or March next year, please be ready to write to your MP once the specific details of the bill are known.

Assisted Suicide

Once again assisted suicide is on the front pages of our newspapers, with reports that Sky will broadcast the assisted suicide of an American man in the Swiss clinic, Dignitas.

Although there was no specific mention of assisted suicide legislation in the Queen’s Speech it is possible that it is brought forward through a Private Members Bill, the Government have indicated that they may find parliamentary time for revision of the assisted suicide law.

Please pray that people who are terminally ill are not treated as second class citizens but are loved and cared for.

Please pray that the Government do not undermine the dignity of human life by placing pressure on terminally ill patients to die prematurely.

Today, the 10th December, is the 60th anniversary of the UN declaration of human rights. Let us remember that we enjoy considerably greater freedom than many around the world and please pray that freedom and hope will be brought to nations that are ravaged by war and oppression.

Please pray that we will not take our own human rights for granted, thank God for the freedom we have to worship him and to preach the gospel.

Please also pray for MPs as they return home over Christmas, pray that they have a restful break with their families.