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Category - public service

  • 23 Jan 2013
    Questioning Demos: faith groups, social justice and public services

    This week (20 January 2013) the thinktank Demos (“ideas and action to promote the common good”) has published its report Faithful Providers, which argues that faith-based organisations should be used more as public service providers. Simon Barrow offers an initial response, highlighting some of the problematic assumptions and stances within the report, setting out the background to successive government's interest in co-opting faith providers, and pointing towards a more radical Christian stance which roots service in a tradition of modelling and advocating a different social order based on justice and equality.

  • 26 Mar 2012
    Peter Cruddas: rotten apple or tainted barrel?

    “A hundred grand is not premier league. Two hundred grand to 250 is premier league.” The language of the huckster employed by Tory Treasurer Peter Cruddas in relation to access to the Prime Minister is ugly and dispiriting.

  • 8 Jun 2010
    Cameron's cuts: We're not all in this together

    David Cameron has said the government's massive cuts will be delivered in a way that “strengthens and unites the country”. His words remind me of his colleague's George Osborne's claim that, when it comes to tackling the economic situation, “we're all in this together”.

  • 13 Nov 2007
    Service provision: Why does government want to court the churches?

    Among secular groups there is puzzlement and annoyance that government continues to 'pander' to weakened churches in areas like public service provision. This is because, says Jonathan Bartley, they have not grasped the mutual interests involved. These are as much a threat to the churches as an advantage.