Church secures place in regeneration project; Coalition may use ‘nuclear option’ to force through gay marriage law; 55% of Tory members would vote against gay marriage if they were in parliament; Media review
Church secures place in regeneration project
The Diocese of London is set to establish the first new church presence in a new community in London for 40 years.
It has entered into a partnership with Lee Valley Estates for a new facility at the heart of the Hale Village regeneration project in Tottenham that will include use as a church.
This is the first time that the Church of England in London has entered into a long-term relationship with a developer to put urgently needed community facilities, including a place of worship, in the heart of a major regeneration area.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Diocese of London will take out a 250 year lease on the facility.
The £14million development secured planning permission in July this year and will include a community centre, nursery, café, residential accommodation. It will also be able to hold community events and religious ceremonies like weddings and baptisms.
Construction is due to begin in six months and completion is expected in the next two years.
Head of Strategic Development for the Diocese of London, Matthew Girt said the development was part of the diocese’s wider strategic approach in London.
“We looked across the whole city and identified Tottenham as one of a number of top priority areas,” he said.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.secures.place.in.regeneration.project/31365.htm
Coalition may use ‘nuclear option’ to force through gay marriage law
By John Bingham,Telegraph – The Coalition is facing a new constitutional battle over same-sex marriages after failing to rule out invoking rarely-used parliamentary powers to force it through.
Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary, has signalled that the Government might be prepared to use the Parliament Act to get its planned “equal marriage” legislation on to the statute book if it is rejected in the Lords.
The Act, which has been used only seven times in the past century, is sometimes described as the “nuclear” option of parliamentary process to break stalemates between the Commons and the Lords. It asserts the superiority of the House of Commons by allowing Bills that cannot clear the Lords to become law, but is intended to be used only in exceptional circumstances.
The Act was last used by the Blair government to force through the ban on foxhunting after years of acrimony over the issue.
Despite predictions that almost half of Tory MPs will vote against same-sex marriage in a free vote, the proposal is likely to secure a majority in the Commons with the support of Labour and Liberal Democrat members. But the situation in the Lords is less clear, with almost equal numbers of Tory and Labour peers but a large independent contingent as well as 26 Church of England bishops.
Some peers have already predicted that the Bill could be sunk in the Lords even if it passes the Commons. Mrs Miller has been asked repeatedly in recent days whether she would rule out using the Parliament Act but has sidestepped the question by saying that she was confident the Lords would back the measure.
55% of Tory members would vote against gay marriage if they were in parliament
By Tim Montgomerie, Conservative Home – In one of our largest ever polls – completed by 2,568 Tory members from 22nd to 26th December – ConservativeHome has found that only 37% of Tory members support David Cameron’s proposal to introduce gay marriage while 55% oppose those plans.
In this regard Tory members are out-of-step with the population-at-large and with Conservative voters. An ICM poll for The Guardian finds 61% of all voters support the move to legalise gay marriage with just 32% opposed. 52% of 2010’s Tory voters support gay marriage and 42% are opposed. An Ipsos-MORI poll from earlier in the month – conducted for Freedom to Marry – found that support grew to 74% if all voters were reassured about religious liberties.
Within the poll we did find some arguments that appeared to have some resonance with Tory members:
• 44% agree that “in the long-term a party that opposes gay equality will struggle to win support from younger voters”. 44% disagree.
• 71% concede that “this will not be a big issue at the general election – it will largely be forgotten because issues like jobs, inflation, Europe and the NHS will dominate”. 25% disagree.
Overall, however, nearly every other finding will make disappointing reading for the Tory leadership
MEDIA REVIEW
“Dean planned Lord’s prayer in Spanish” with ref to archives released on Falklands War
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9767891/Queen-asked-to-intervene-over-Falklands-Memorial-Service.html
Comment “Churches’ hostility to gay marriage only underlines their impotence”
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/churches-hostility-to-gay-marriage-only-underlines-their-impotence-8432092.html?origin=internalSearch
“Tories warn PM that he’s splitting party, as leadership speculation mounts” with ref to CofE and gay marriage
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-warn-pm-that-hes-splitting-his-party-over-gay-marriage-as-leadership-speculation-mounts-8432290.html?origin=internalSearch
“Dawkins branded a fundamentalist by expert behind the ‘God particle'”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2253640/Battle-professors-Richard-Dawkins-branded-fundamentalist-expert-God-particle.html