All posts tagged: privilege

MPs acting against Commons’ prayer seating privilege

MPs acting against Commons’ prayer seating privilege

Published by skeptic

House of Commons, Official Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 The All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG)’s campaign to modernise the ‘prayer card’ system for reserving limited seating in the House of Commons is gaining traction. Labour MPs – who since July 2024 make up a significant majority in the House of Commons – have begun informally taking approaches to minimise the discriminatory impact of an archaic system that gives privileged access to seats to those MPs who attend Anglican prayers at the start of each day.  The current prayer card system allows MPs who attend Anglican prayers (which are held in the chamber every day) to reserve their seat for the rest of the day. As there are only 427 seats for 650 MPs this means on busy days such as Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) those MPs who don’t attend prayers and their constituents are at a disadvantage as those MPs who are left standing are much less likely to be picked by the speaker to contribute. No parliamentarian should be put at a democratic disadvantage due …

Committee: Remove religious privilege from Canada’s charity law

Committee: Remove religious privilege from Canada’s charity law

Published by skeptic

The Government of Canada should remove the “privileged status” of religion in charity law, a Canadian parliamentary committee has said. In a report ahead of Canada’s 2025 budget, the Standing Committee on Finance recommended the Income Tax Act be amended to “provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of ‘advancement of religion’ as a charitable purpose”. The National Secular Society has long called for similar changes to the UK’s charity law. In both Canada and the UK, the “advancement of religion” is a recognised charitable purpose in law. The NSS has argued that this can enable religious organisations to register as charities, and therefore gain tax exemptions, without demonstrating a tangible public benefit. The NSS has also raised concerns that including the “advancement of religion” in the list of charitable purposes enables religious charities to promote misogyny, homophobia and other forms of extremism with impunity. This is despite the duty on charities to serve a public benefit and not to cause harm. The committee’s report, presented to Canada’s House of …

Parliamentary humanists call for end of ‘prayer privilege’ in the Commons

Parliamentary humanists call for end of ‘prayer privilege’ in the Commons

Published by skeptic

Limited seating: Backbenchers who pray are more likely to get to sit or speak in a busy debate The All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG) has called for an end to ‘prayer privilege’ in the House of Commons. It has done so in response to a call for evidence by the Modernisation Committee. The Committee was set up after the King’s Speech to consider ‘reforms to House of Commons procedures, standards, and working practices.’ The APPHG called for an end to the current practices of having prayers at the start of every session and allocating seats for the day based on attendance at those prayers; and the lack of a non-religious pastoral carer. Currently every day in the Commons starts with Anglican prayers, even though most people are non-religious and this is currently the most non-religious Parliament ever. This is only made worse by the system of prayer cards. MPs who attend prayers can use a prayer card to reserve their seat for the rest of the day. As there are only 427 seats for 650 …

Religious privilege in equality law must end, NSS tells EHRC

Religious privilege in equality law must end, NSS tells EHRC

Published by skeptic

The National Secular Society has called for an end to religious privilege in equality law in response to a consultation from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The EHRC consultation called for feedback on its Strategic Plan, which will guide its activities from 2025 to 2028. Its three proposed areas of focus are work, participation and good relations, and justice and the balance of rights. The EHRC is an independent statutory body responsible for encouraging equality and diversity, eliminating unlawful discrimination, and protecting and promote human rights in Britain. Work: Employment discrimination in faith schools The NSS called for the repeal of exemptions to the Equality Act 2010 which enable employment discrimination in state funded faith schools. Some, if not all, staff can be hired, promoted and remunerated on the basis of religion. In some schools, staff can be disciplined or dismissed for conduct “incompatible with the precepts” of the school’s religion. The NSS also warned about abuse of ‘genuine occupational requirements’ (GORs) which allow employers to require employees to belong to a particular …

Religious privilege in schools fosters inequality, NSS tells Ofsted

Religious privilege in schools fosters inequality, NSS tells Ofsted

Published by skeptic

The privileging of religion in education is “perpetuating unfairness” against children and families who have greatest need of support, the National Secular Society has told the school inspectorate. Responding Ofsted’s ‘Big Listen’ consultation, the NSS said the perception that faith schools perform better than nonreligious schools can be explained by their “exclusion of children who need the greatest support”. Research published this year by the Sutton Trust found that faith schools are “consistently more socially selective than non-religious schools” because the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) at faith schools is consistently lower than the proportion eligible in their catchment area. FSM eligibility is often used as a measure of pupil disadvantage, because only pupils from low income families are eligible for FSM. The report found the gap between FSM eligibility at faith schools and their catchment area to be “significantly larger” compared to nonreligious schools. Last year, research published by the London School of Economics also found faith-based primary schools admit fewer children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) than …

Scrapping admissions cap signals alarming lurch towards religious privilege

Scrapping admissions cap signals alarming lurch towards religious privilege

Published by skeptic

The government is planning to abolish the rule requiring faith-based free schools in England to offer half their places without any reference to religion. This means that for the first time, religious groups will be able to receive 100% state funding for schools with 100% faith-based admissions. Many faith schools, known as voluntary aided (VA) schools, can already select all pupils based of faith. But while the running costs of a VA school are fully state funded, the religious body that runs the school usually owns the land and buildings. However, the Government’s new reforms will secure total taxpayer funding for faith schools that religious leaders can prevent your child from attending. The policy shift comes at the behest of Catholic bishops who have disingenuously argued that not allowing the schools they run to admit children from exclusively Catholic backgrounds unfairly discriminates against Catholic students. This is untrue – there is no way the 50% cap could result in a child losing a place at a Catholic school because they are raised Catholic. Faith schools …

Ian Hislop on journalism, ‘privilege’ of editing and why he is committed to print

Ian Hislop on journalism, ‘privilege’ of editing and why he is committed to print

Published by skeptic

Ian Hislop is pictured accepting a fellowship of the Society of Editors following the organisation’s 25th anniversary conference in London on 1 May 2024. Picture: Press Gazette Private Eye editor Ian Hislop has told the Society of Editors that print is “still kicking” as he accepted a fellowship of the organisation. Speaking at a reception following the Society’s 25th anniversary conference last week, Hislop said he feels embarrassed when people thank him for doing a story because, in cases such as the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, it was campaigning groups that “did all the work”. The satirist also revisited notable moments from his editorship, including run-ins with libel lawyer Peter Carter-Ruck and the moment he was found guilty of contempt of court. And he said that regardless of “however brilliant” journalism is, “we have to make sure that people want to read it” — hence why, he said, the closest thing Private Eye has to a philosophy is “a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down”. Ian Hislop’s speech to the Society of …

‘I feel more connected with humanity’: the club where phones are banned – and visitors pay for the privilege | Life and style

‘I feel more connected with humanity’: the club where phones are banned – and visitors pay for the privilege | Life and style

Published by skeptic

When I walk into Amsterdam’s Cafe Brecht, I immediately want to take a picture. The old-fashioned bar – with its plush sofas, vintage art and warm lighting – is what the Dutch would call “gezellig”, a word with many meanings but perhaps best summed up as “cosy” or “pleasant”. My instinct is to whip out my phone and take a photo. For friends? Future reference? Who knows? But I’ll have to rely on my memory, as I’ve checked it at the door. I’m at the cafe for a Sunday morning “digital detox hangout”, organised by the burgeoning Offline Club. I’ve dropped my phone off in slot seven of a fancy-looking lockbox, committing to spend the next few hours unplugged. There’s a set schedule: we have some time to chat at the beginning, then 45 minutes to ourselves, another 30 minutes to connect, followed by another 30 minutes of quiet time. During the quiet time, we are invited to do any sort of activity – I brought a book – provided we don’t interrupt others. The …

Woman reveals ‘skinny privilege’ after losing 11 stone – ‘strangers treat me differently’ | UK | News

Woman reveals ‘skinny privilege’ after losing 11 stone – ‘strangers treat me differently’ | UK | News

Published by skeptic

Now Issy has lost 11st 10lbs and is a slender 13st 1lbs and can slip into a size 14 but has realised how differently she is being treated. She said people now hold the door open for her and smile at her and they hadn’t before – so she believes she now has ‘skinny privilege’. Issy, an e-commerce and social media manager, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, said: “It’s basic things – someone holding the door open. People smiling at you. “I feel I get treated differently. When you’ve been big you realise you don’t have the same experience. “I was quite shocked that people before wouldn’t have entertained me before have popped up. I’m the exact same person. I still treat people the same. “I want someone to like me for me not for what I look like. People say you’re thinner now – must get more attention. “It’s a bit sad. Why wasn’t she worthy of the same? But everyone has a preference and everyone is entitled to that. “It’s crazy how different people treat …