Chris Whiteside's Blog

 

Here is a picture of the candle I lit this morning after the Easter Sunday service at St James' church, alongside those lit by others. I prayed for peace and happiness for Christians celebrating Easter here and around the world. I particularly prayed for a just and lasting peace to bring and end to the wars and conflict in the world, particularly in Ukraine and in the Middle East.

"As families come together this Easter, I want to pay tribute to the amazing work churches and Christian communities do in parishes across the country.  Your values of compassion, service and family are at the heart of our national life.   I wish everyone a very Happy Easter." Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Easter message 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

  "Alleluia, Christ is risen!  Throughout the world, these words will resonate in many languages, from churches to homes to makeshift shelters and refugee camps.  ‘Christ is risen’ proclaims that whatever the circumstances of our world today, God is ever transforming it, reshaping it, and that the shape of things to come will be infinitely more glorious than anything we know right now.  On this Easter Day, we are filled with joy at what God brings, yet we remember all those for whom joy is hard won, and overshadowed by the realities of war, conflict and death.  We remember that to proclaim the Christ who died and rose again is to proclaim a radically different reality that challenges all the powers of this world, and all the forces that work for death instead of life.  And so today, in solidarity with all for whom this day is difficult, we proclaim:  Christ is risen!  “ ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen....

"Know it’s annoying to some people on here. But Labour politicians like Angela Rayner are going to get scrutinised just the same as the Tories. Sorry." (Journalist and former Labour and Union staffer Dan Hodges today on X, formerly Twitter)

 

I have always supported free speech within the law, and believed that the law should allow the maximum practical degree of free speech.  I was against the "No platform" policy when I was at University - attempts by the left to suppress free speech on campus are not new - and indeed worked with the then MP for Manchester Wythenshawe, Fred Sylvester, who proposed a bill to protect free speech in Universities and institutions of Higher and Further education not dissimilar to the rules the present government is putting in place. I supported the successful " Feel Free to insult me " campaign to remove from Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, words which made it illegal to insult anybody. I'm not an absolutist on this - words have consequences, so it is right that we have laws concerning libel and slander, and it that incitement to commit crimes, particularly acts of violence or hatred, are and should be illegal. And obviously, although I will often allow comments...

 

David Cameron, UK Foreign Secretary, has written as follows: "Hostages brutally taken by Hamas on October 7 have been in captivity for over 170 days. We’re talking to our regional partners to keep the pressure on and keep the profile of hostages high.  We want to see the safe release of all hostages unconditionally."

 

"A very blessed Good Friday to Christians here in the UK and around the world."    Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister. He later added: "On this Good Friday, as we remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, let us reflect on the values of compassion, charity and selflessness he embodied.  These values are at the heart of British values, inspiring us to build a society based on respect, tolerance and dignity for all."

 From the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt Rev Justin Welby, this morning: "Good Friday feels like the opposite of good. Good Friday invites us into a place of utter desolation. It reminds us of everything that is not good in the world: gross injustice, abuses of power, scapegoating of the vulnerable and those who are different, betrayal, abandonment, and the horrendous violence that human beings always seem willing to inflict upon one another.  All that is ugly, shameful and sinful about humanity is brought into focus on Good Friday, as Jesus is nailed upon a cross.  And yet, it is Good. Not because of what takes place, but because within the worst of circumstances, Jesus demonstrates what it is to inhabit the broken world with profound and ultimate goodness. Jesus demonstrates the cost of goodness in the world – and does not shrink from it, despite the tears and fears of Gethsemane.  “From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And abo...

 

 A MoD statement today said: On Monday, the Royal Air Force airdropped over 10 tonnes of life-saving food supplies to Gaza, including water, rice and baby formula.  In recent weeks, the UK has delivered enough food to feed 275,000 people and a full field hospital by land. For more details click on this link .

 

 

"The UK 🇬🇧 has done the right thing by extending our tariff-free, quota-free imports from Ukraine 🇺🇦 for most goods for another 5 years. The UK calls on Europe to follow suit to defend freedom & democracy against the invasion of sovereign Ukraine by dictatorial Putin." Rt Hon Grant Shapps , UK Defence secretary

 

 

 

 

Sadly I could not relax when I returned from helping Andrew Johnson and Mike Johnson today as we are in the middle of a house move this weekend - hence "music to move house to" rather than "music to relax." I shall be glad when it's over - though I shall be very busy supporting excellent candidates like Andrew, Mike and the Conservative candidate for Mayor of North Yorkshire, Keane Duncan, for the next few weeks.

Joined a great team out today in Seascale to support Andrew Johnson  for MP for Whitehaven and Workington and Mike Johnson to succeed Peter McCall as Cumbria's Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner

"The UK condemns in the strongest terms the deadly terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow. We offer our heartfelt condolences and express our deepest sympathy to the families of the many victims. Nothing can ever justify such horrific violence." ( David Cameron , UK Foreign Secretary) I agree with Lord Cameron. Whatever our problems with Vladimir Putin, the ordinary Russian people are not our enemy, and going into a concert and gunning down innocent people is no way to respond to any of the crimes that Putin has committed.

Following on from the statement from the palace, I am sure everyone in the country will join the Prime Minister (see quote of the day earlier this evening) in wishing Catherine, Princess of Wales and His Majesty the kind successful treatment for their respective cancer conditions and a full and complete recovery.