News
No more prayers in Parliament, MPs say
MPs from Labour, Lib Dems, Greens and SNP sign motion to end prayers before House of Commons sittings.
Success! Plan to scrap cap on faith school selection halted
Sixty-six percent of consultation respondents opposed plans to scrap 50% cap and allow special academies with a religious... Read More »
Cross party support for inclusive assemblies bill
Lib Dem, Labour, Green and crossbench peers unite behind bill to replace collective worship laws
Government rejects cap on religious discrimination at new schools
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill committee vote down amendment to stop new faith schools selecting all pupils... Read More »
Half the public view Church of England unfavourably, survey finds
Polling by YouGov reveals ten point increase in those with negative view of Church
NSS welcomes government commitment on blasphemy laws
Government says "any new definition of Islamophobia" will recognise "unchanging right to freedom of speech and expression"... Read More »
NSS refers misogynistic Islamic psychotherapy charity to regulator
Co-founder of Muslim Family Foundation claims "a woman must serve her husband by cooking and cleaning".
Extent of global ‘blasphemy’ laws revealed in report
'Dozens of countries' worldwide found to criminalise blasphemy and restrict speech around religion
Faith-based school admissions should be ended, NSS tells UN
NSS tells UN committee religious exemptions to Equality Act which permit faith-based admissions should be ended.
Bishop of Liverpool quits after sex assault revelations
John Perumbalath's resignation follows calls from figures within the Church for him to step aside
Man who burned Qurans in Sweden shot dead
Salwan Momika, prosecuted for "agitation against an ethnic or national group", shot dead near Stockholm
Failings found at mosque charity whose trustee encouraged terrorism
Trustee said jihad "by sword" is an "obligation" while making stabbing motion
NSS: Scotland should repeal religious observance laws
Mandatory religious observance in schools is incompatible with UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, NSS tells... Read More »
Harriet Harman tables amendment to abolish bishops’ bench
Harman calls for end to bishops sitting as peers by "virtue of their ordination"
Many parents fake religiosity to get school places, survey finds
NSS says figures show Government must clamp down on discriminatory faith schools.
NSS urges Parliament to prevent increase in selective faith schools
NSS says committee must ensure schools bill does not become "a vehicle for greater religious discrimination and segregation"... Read More »
Judge and parents call for boys to be protected from circumcision
Calls come as ex-doctor sentenced to 5 years in prison for child cruelty and actual bodily harm related to ritual... Read More »
New move to abolish the bishops’ bench in House of Lords
NSS supports amendment to hereditary peers bill to remove automatic seats for 26 bishops in House of Lords.
DfE: “highly unlikely” selective faith schools can meet local needs
Statement on BBC Sunday suggests local authorities reluctant to open schools which select all children based on religion.... Read More »
NSS urges investigation of C of E evangelism at nonreligious school
Plan to convert children at Hampshire community school "deeply alarming", says NSS
NI schools refused integrated status despite warnings from DoE team
Department of Education planning team said rejecting bid "would not be in line" with the Department's duties to integrated... Read More »
NSS: Civil society ‘reset’ must protect secular public services
Civil society covenant must keep public services free from extremism, proselytisation and discrimination, says NSS... Read More »
Committee: Remove religious privilege from Canada’s charity law
Finance committee tells Canadian Government to remove "privileged status" of religion and end charity status for anti-abortion... Read More »
Nigerian humanist freed after imprisonment for ‘blasphemy’
Mubarak Bala was serving a 24 year sentence for social media posts deemed blasphemous
“Yes”: Government ‘completely rules out’ introducing blasphemy laws
Conservative MP: Blasphemy laws "have no place in modern British society"