What we know about Brexit negotiations so far
-Theresa May pledged to take time to secure ‘a sensible and orderly departure’ after 2016. -No second referendum, Brexit means Brexit, we’re going to make a success of it. -Article 50 remains mysterious. A No.10 spokesman said that Parliament will have its say; but did not clarify whether this would be before or after Article 50 is triggered. -The cabinet needs to speak up. May’s ‘you break it, you fix it’ approach to cabinet appointments means that key Brexiteers are now in charge of overseeing affected areas, such as farming and international relations. The PM is asking each minister to report back on opportunities for their departments. -Brexit comes with social mobility, ‘We want to be a government and a country that works for everyone.’ -All eyes will be on David Davis, aka Brexit minister, responsible for Exiting the EU, a new ministerial department.
NHS prayer needs
We keep hearing bad news about the NHS. This week it was announced that junior doctors will strike again, for five days at a time, over their pay claim. Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, Katrina Percy, quit after the trust was criticised over the way it investigated patient deaths. Also, a report found that the NHS mental health trust had failed to investigate the unexpected deaths of more than 1,000 people since 2011. On Tuesday the BMA said that quick, turnaround GP appointments are 'running general practice into the ground. Doctors cannot treat patients properly under the current recommended ten-minute limit per consultation.’ Public satisfaction with the NHS is falling - see
Prison officer numbers fall
The number of frontline officers working in public-sector prisons has fallen over the last year, despite Ministry of Justice plans to recruit additional staff to help respond to the highest levels of violence, suicide and self-injury since recording practices began. Statistics show that there were 14,689 frontline officers in England and Wales in June 2016, down from 15,110 a year earlier. This leaves prisons with barely more frontline staff than the lowpoint of 2014 which prompted the ministry’s current recruitment exercise. Almost every region has seen frontline officer numbers fall. Figures at 31 August 2016 indicate that, in spite of the recruitment drive, people remain unwilling to work in prisons under present conditions. Reducing resources while allowing the prison population to grow unchecked has created a toxic cocktail of violence, death and human misery. See
Churches going greener
More than 3,500 UK churches have become greener and either switched their electricity from fossil fuels to renewables or registered to do so, according to figures released by charities. The announcement coincides with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on 1 September, the beginning of a global ecumenical time of contemplation during which Christians are encouraged to pray and work for the protection of the environment. Around 2,000 of the switches come from 16 Catholic dioceses which are now running entirely on renewable energy; some of these diocese made the switch following the Pope’s encyclical for the environment. The number also includes the majority of the Salvation Army’s UK sites and a third of Britain’s Quaker meeting houses. They signed up through the website bigchurchswitch.org.uk promoted by Christian Aid and Tearfund. Following the success of the initiative, it will now be extended into the New Year.
