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https://x.com/robkenyonreform/status/2059955153172631613

St Mary’s Church in Ince once served the people of Makerfield. Now it’s a mosque.

Our Christian heritage is being erased. Reform UK will ban the conversion of churches and protect Britain’s traditions.

Oh goody onto Muslim bashing

I'm an Athiest.

But even I can see the merits of a place of worship remaining a place of worship rather than rotting and decaying.

No God could argue with that.

Farage is the devil on earth.

Or they can actually be put to a worthwhile use as architecturally interesting housing

There's obviously a huge excess of churches because the rate of church attendance has collapsed.

If the people of Makerfield still wanted churches to go to, and still went to church, then the churches would all still be open as churches.

Fun fact time.

I'm Britain, about 930,000 Muslims will attend a mosque each week, while about 702,000 Christians will visit a church each week.

There are about 40,000 churches in Britain, while there are just under 2,000 mosques.

Thus the average weekly attendance at a mosque is 465, and at a church is 18.

I don't think that's true.

It appears true if you ask Muslims how often they go to Mosque. But if you ask the Mosques themselves what their attendence is, you get a much lower number. It turns out that lots of Muslims who only go for Eid and the like, report going every week.

It’s like people in new relationships telling their new partner they go to the STI clinic regularly when in fact they went once after a stag do in Magaluf twelve years ago.

Think I'd be more concerned if a new partner felt they needed to go to the STI clinic monthly.

On the other hand you could be fairly certain they had been treated, while someone who never goes...

St Mary's church in Ince was demolished in 1978 due to mining subsidence. The school remained but closed due to lack of attendance due to having a thoroughly shit reputation.
The derelict school is now a Mosque and community centre.
So not quite as Reform would have us believe.

Shocked, I tell you, shocked.

A couple of caveats, though.

As with the "four star hotels turned into asylum facilities" thing, it's also about people's memories. Indeed, the people who go to church most tend to be least cross about churches closing. It's sad, sure, but it's also a relief to put down the burden of trying to keep an unviable church open. (Been there, done that.)

Also, the CofE did a pretty drastic reorganisation of its churches in Wigan a few years back, to try to match the number of services and buildings to the number of parishoners and resources. (Even if you can find enough money, it's a struggle to find enough clergy.) Oh, and to grow the church.
https://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/transforming-wigan/

Although it's got nothing to do with the government, or the Muslims, I wouldn't be shocked if there were some discontent to mine here.

But the bottom line is what it's always been. About ten percent of those who describe themselves as Church of England turn up each Sunday (see https://tswyatt.substack.com/p/half-empty-or-half-full for some fun figures). That's not enough to keep this much show on the road. For those who are really keen on Preserving England's Christian Heritage, there's a pretty obvious action to take.

https://x.com/PolitlcsUK/status/2060441806181896440

🚨 NEW: Andy Burnham would end all Government contracts for asylum accommodation and hotels if he becomes Prime Minister

The responsibility for providing accommodation would instead be given to local authorities

Local authorities controlled by Reform.

That'll end well.

Vote Reform in your local council elections and can get rid of your asylum seekers - that really doesn't work out..

Put the lunatics in charge of the asylum seekers?

Oddly enough, youtube recommended to me this just the other week :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on-y9Pv-CJA

Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum

Hadn't thought of it since it was actually in the charts. But it felt quite appropriate given what was going on. So ... well done google?

The target of that song was Reagan. One wonders what (the late and much-missed) Terry Hall would have made of Trump?

Fun fact time.

I'm Britain, about 930,000 Muslims will attend a mosque each week, while about 702,000 Christians will visit a church each week.

There are about 40,000 churches in Britain, while there are just under 2,000 mosques.

Thus the average weekly attendance at a mosque is 465, and at a church is 18.

I don't think that's true.

It appears true if you ask Muslims how often they go to Mosque. But if you ask the Mosques themselves what their attendence is, you get a much lower number. It turns out that lots of Muslims who only go for Eid and the like, report going every week.

It’s like people in new relationships telling their new partner they go to the STI clinic regularly when in fact they went once after a stag do in Magaluf twelve years ago.

Think I'd be more concerned if a new partner felt they needed to go to the STI clinic monthly.

Evening all

For those suddenly interested in the NEET issue because of the Alan Milburn report, this is some work from late last year which is of interest:

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities/2025/12/10/three-myths-about-neets-in-the-uk/

Interesting to note 8% of NEETs are aged 16-17. I certainly remember when I was in local Government a lot of time and effort went into ensuring EVERY 16-17 age old was either in education, employment and training. Have Councils been able to continue this work given spending pressures elsewhere?

It's also worth noting a quarter of NEETs are not seeking work due to sickness and disability so again the myth about a generation of "malingers" or "scroungers" fails to survive contact with reality (along with a series of other crass generalisations).

Yes but Labour ducked the welfare reforms needed to try and get those on sickness benefit and capable of some work into the workplace

a

Good evening

Farage and Polanski are both extreme politicians feeding on a disenchanted electorate and both are dangerous

The usual anti Kemi suspects are entirely predictable, but it is evident that she has grown into her role and is getting a hearing

As far as I know the last three polls have the conservatives in 2nd place and Kemi's task is to overtake Farage and regain the centre right over the next 3 years

She is the leader of the opposition so does get more coverage and has a positive outlook which according to some is not accepting reality

Actually the party facing the biggest crisis is Labour stuck with an impotent leader and crossing their fingers that Burnham can ride to the rescue but first has the wee problem of winning in Makerfield

The days of 2 party politics is over with 5, even 7, fighting to be heard and anyone who knows how GE29 will turn out is wishcasting

I would just say Kemi has won over @HYUFD and to be fair he is supportive

A slight correction - of the last three polls in the field, the Conservatives are second in two and third in one and 1-2 points in front of Labour which is well within margin of error which includes the Greens so all we can say is Reform are clearly ahead but Labour,Conservatives and Greens are statistically level and ahead of the Lib Dems.

Badenoch gets plenty of air time - I'm not sure how "positive" her outlook is - she seems to be maoning about the Government all the time and as for her response, it's all "we've got a plan" which will presumably work until we see the detail.

Thanks for the correction but they do lead labour in all 3

As to your last paragraph that is true for all parties and why 3 years out of a GE it is impossible to predict

Kemi has committed to ending stamp duty, the farm tax, and has opened the topic of student fees

If she is wise she will concentrate on the young, NEETS, and reduce business tax

I know from my own family the distress of NEETS

I would pose a question

How much does a NEET receive on benefits per week ?

How much does it cost an employer with the new minimum wage rises to employ a NEET for a week ?

In the circumstances that there is a substantial difference then reduce the minimum wage to address this and for employers to be able to create the entry level jobs NEETS are so in need off

Yes, labour and the unions would be outraged but as long as this crisis remains an issue their ideology is responsible and unhelpful

The first point is 46% of NEETs claim no benefits at all.

I have read that but it needs explaining

Are they living with their family and how are they supporting themselves ?

Or are they in education and training so not a NEET ?

I do not know the explanation but it does mean 54% are claiming benefits

Good evening

Farage and Polanski are both extreme politicians feeding on a disenchanted electorate and both are dangerous

The usual anti Kemi suspects are entirely predictable, but it is evident that she has grown into her role and is getting a hearing

As far as I know the last three polls have the conservatives in 2nd place and Kemi's task is to overtake Farage and regain the centre right over the next 3 years

She is the leader of the opposition so does get more coverage and has a positive outlook which according to some is not accepting reality

Actually the party facing the biggest crisis is Labour stuck with an impotent leader and crossing their fingers that Burnham can ride to the rescue but first has the wee problem of winning in Makerfield

The days of 2 party politics is over with 5, even 7, fighting to be heard and anyone who knows how GE29 will turn out is wishcasting

I would just say Kemi has won over @HYUFD and to be fair he is supportive

A slight correction - of the last three polls in the field, the Conservatives are second in two and third in one and 1-2 points in front of Labour which is well within margin of error which includes the Greens so all we can say is Reform are clearly ahead but Labour,Conservatives and Greens are statistically level and ahead of the Lib Dems.

Badenoch gets plenty of air time - I'm not sure how "positive" her outlook is - she seems to be maoning about the Government all the time and as for her response, it's all "we've got a plan" which will presumably work until we see the detail.

Thanks for the correction but they do lead labour in all 3

As to your last paragraph that is true for all parties and why 3 years out of a GE it is impossible to predict

Kemi has committed to ending stamp duty, the farm tax, and has opened the topic of student fees

If she is wise she will concentrate on the young, NEETS, and reduce business tax

I know from my own family the distress of NEETS

I would pose a question

How much does a NEET receive on benefits per week ?

How much does it cost an employer with the new minimum wage rises to employ a NEET for a week ?

In the circumstances that there is a substantial difference then reduce the minimum wage to address this and for employers to be able to create the entry level jobs NEETS are so in need off

Yes, labour and the unions would be outraged but as long as this crisis remains an issue their ideology is responsible and unhelpful

The first point is 46% of NEETs claim no benefits at all.

I have read that but it needs explaining

Are they living with their family and how are they supporting themselves ?

Or are they in education and training so not a NEET ?

I do not know the explanation but it does mean 54% are claiming benefits

Good evening

Farage and Polanski are both extreme politicians feeding on a disenchanted electorate and both are dangerous

The usual anti Kemi suspects are entirely predictable, but it is evident that she has grown into her role and is getting a hearing

As far as I know the last three polls have the conservatives in 2nd place and Kemi's task is to overtake Farage and regain the centre right over the next 3 years

She is the leader of the opposition so does get more coverage and has a positive outlook which according to some is not accepting reality

Actually the party facing the biggest crisis is Labour stuck with an impotent leader and crossing their fingers that Burnham can ride to the rescue but first has the wee problem of winning in Makerfield

The days of 2 party politics is over with 5, even 7, fighting to be heard and anyone who knows how GE29 will turn out is wishcasting

I would just say Kemi has won over @HYUFD and to be fair he is supportive

A slight correction - of the last three polls in the field, the Conservatives are second in two and third in one and 1-2 points in front of Labour which is well within margin of error which includes the Greens so all we can say is Reform are clearly ahead but Labour,Conservatives and Greens are statistically level and ahead of the Lib Dems.

Badenoch gets plenty of air time - I'm not sure how "positive" her outlook is - she seems to be maoning about the Government all the time and as for her response, it's all "we've got a plan" which will presumably work until we see the detail.

Thanks for the correction but they do lead labour in all 3

As to your last paragraph that is true for all parties and why 3 years out of a GE it is impossible to predict

Kemi has committed to ending stamp duty, the farm tax, and has opened the topic of student fees

If she is wise she will concentrate on the young, NEETS, and reduce business tax

I know from my own family the distress of NEETS

I would pose a question

How much does a NEET receive on benefits per week ?

How much does it cost an employer with the new minimum wage rises to employ a NEET for a week ?

In the circumstances that there is a substantial difference then reduce the minimum wage to address this and for employers to be able to create the entry level jobs NEETS are so in need off

Yes, labour and the unions would be outraged but as long as this crisis remains an issue their ideology is responsible and unhelpful

The first point is 46% of NEETs claim no benefits at all.

I have read that but it needs explaining

Are they living with their family and how are they supporting themselves ?

Or are they in education and training so not a NEET ?

I do not know the explanation but it does mean 54% are claiming benefits

Working cash in hand jobs, probably.

In a way, the alarming thing is that we don't really know.

One of the other standout points of the Milburn report is that we spend 25 times as much on benefits as on employment support for young people.

We have a fairly shrewd idea who the NEETs are, and can anticipate who is at risk at age 18/16/14... As with troubled families, intensive work with at-risk young people feels like it would pay big dividends. Trouble is, it isn't consistent with a Smaller State, and the costs are now and the benefits come later.

Pass me another bad of seedcorn, I'm feeling hungry.

There is a studied lack of interest in what happens at the bottom of the economy.

This was the stuff that started the modern liberals in the 19th cent.

Fun fact time.

I'm Britain, about 930,000 Muslims will attend a mosque each week, while about 702,000 Christians will visit a church each week.

There are about 40,000 churches in Britain, while there are just under 2,000 mosques.

Thus the average weekly attendance at a mosque is 465, and at a church is 18.

I don't think that's true.

It appears true if you ask Muslims how often they go to Mosque. But if you ask the Mosques themselves what their attendence is, you get a much lower number. It turns out that lots of Muslims who only go for Eid and the like, report going every week.

It is also worth pointing out that number is for Anglican churches, not all churches.

In light of this silly tweet, maybe somebody should note this building was not actually a church, it was a school which hosted church services, and it is not a mosque, rather it is a community centre that has a prayer room Muslims rent.

(As a side note, it is actually illegal to use a former Anglican Church as a place of worship for a non-Christian religion. They can be sold to other Christians, converted to fully secular purposes, or demolished.)

Apart from that, the Russian asset masquerading as a political candidate is perfectly right.