At lunch with a group of Baptist Ministers I mentioned this link (HT Glen) and promised to post it on the blog. So here it is
Big Society
Interesting piece about Big Society here by Luke Bretherton (HT Andy) and the opportunity it presents for churches, which covers similar ground as a talk by Malcolm Duncan to BUGB Council earlier this week. As far as I’m concerned the jury is still out. In principle I like the idea of small government and communities being... Continue Reading →
Papal Visit
I recognise that the visit is over and most people have moved on but if only to prove I'm still alive I thought I would share some rambling thoughts. 1. I’m not sure why it was made a ‘state’ rather than ‘pastoral’ visit but I’m not convinced this was wise. Notwithstanding the opportunities it gave... Continue Reading →
Campaign in poetry, govern in prose and coalesce in bullet points?
I confess surprise that we now have a coalition government and am not optimistic that it will see out a full term. I think that the arrangement is high risk for Nick Clegg. Whilst the headlines suggest that there are a number of Lib Dem policies which are being incorporated the danger is the... Continue Reading →
Who fancies swapping with Nick?
The problem with commenting on politics is that it moves too fast but this weekend is a fascinating one for UK politics as we wait to see what Nick Clegg will do. The options are clear enough but the realities behind them are fraught with difficulty. Nevertheless the real question is how do the... Continue Reading →
General Election Thoughts 3 – aspiration, believability and connection
I expect that both Labour and Conservative strategy teams are scratching their heads at the unexpected rise in Lib Dem support. They have tapped into a reservoir of voter discontent with Labour, unease with the Conservatives but a desire to see change. In 1997 Blair’s victory carried the sense of a new dawn and Clegg... Continue Reading →
General Election Thoughts 2
After last weeks thoughts on what I would do if I were David Cameron here are some on what would I be doing if I were Nick Clegg. My last post was written (but not posted because of the hustings meeting I chaired) before the first leaders debate which has kick started a surge... Continue Reading →
General Election – Hustings Meeting
Last night we held a hustings meeting for the general election which I chaired; over 200 people came to hear what the five candidates had to say. The format for the evening included each candidate having a couple of minutes to make a personal statement, three questions put to the candidates based on people filling... Continue Reading →
General Election Thoughts
I enjoy elections so the current UK general election fight has got me wondering, after the TV debates, what would I be doing or thinking if I were David Cameron? 1. Inspiration. Cameron has got to sell a vision of a future government that inspires people. He has to find a way of communicating his... Continue Reading →
Free will?
Not many blog entries recently but I watched a BBC programme about the internet the other day where one of the interviewees talked about the way the web tracks the types of thing you are interested in and helps advertisers to target products. For example the way that Amazon and Youtube always have recommendations for... Continue Reading →
Distinct Reflections 