The former Prime Minister accused religious leaders, particularly Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, of failing to provide "spiritual sustenance", pushing people to overeat instead.

Speaking to GB News, Rees-Mogg agreed that Britain faces a "spiritual desert". Drawing on his experiences, he said "The Church - and it's not just the Anglican Church, it may be our (Catholic) church too - and the Methodists, aren't filling that void".

Johnson's comments, part of the Nourishing Britain report co-authored by Henry Dimbleby and Dolly van Tulleken, painted a stark picture of the country's health.

The former prime minister said that when he was younger, it was "very rare for there to be a fatso in the class. Now they're all fatsos, and I'd be shot for saying they're fatsos, but it's the truth".

He criticised the Most Rev. Justin Welby and other religious leaders for going on about slavery reparations rather than addressing the "spiritual void" in people's lives.

Johnson said this failure was leading to a decline in church attendance.

"The living bread is being provided by Tesco" he said.

"And they're gorging themselves on the real living bread."

Decisive action on obesity

Rees-Mogg's endorsement comes amidst broader political criticism. A government spokesperson distanced Downing Street from Johnson's remarks, stating the government has already taken "decisive action" on obesity, which strains the NHS and the economy.

Figures underline the scale of the issue: 64% of adults in England were overweight or obese in 2022-2023. Among children, 22.1% of Year 6 pupils were classified as obese in 2023-2024.

The Nourishing Britain report interviewed three former prime ministers and ten ex-health secretaries, all admitting they hadn't done enough to tackle obesity while in office.

The report urges current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take tougher action on diet-related ill health in the UK.

Sources

GB News

The Times

This initiative aims to address the country's urgent need for medical professionals while integrating Catholic values into medical education.

"The need for medical professionals in the UK is enormous" a university spokesperson acknowledged.

As London's Catholic university, St Mary's says the school will prioritise ethics-based education and focus on compassionate, patient-centred care.

"Our Catholic mission is integral to our values. We will ensure that our students can flourish with the best possible support" said the spokesperson.

The university aims to produce "ethically discerning" graduates in their medical practice, reflecting its Catholic identity.

Founding Dean of the School of Medicine, Professor Michael Bewick, added "Complemented by the existing successful Allied Health and Sports Science provision, St Mary's is the natural place to establish a forward-thinking centre of medical training".

Cornerstone of the University's plan

In a press release regarding the new Catholic medical school, the university said it had received assurance that it is "on track and making good progress toward required standards for medical education".

According to the release, the university is currently ranked in the country's top 10 for student experience. It is also ranked in the top 5 for teaching quality.

St Mary's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Anthony McClaran, said "The launch of a School of Medicine is a cornerstone of the University's plan for strategic growth and is in keeping with our tradition of delivering a sustained, positive impact on society.

"The school will contribute to the workforce development demands in the UK for more doctors and medical professionals. And it will also train global professionals able to work anywhere in the world" McClaran claimed.

"Our approach to developing the whole person during students' time at SMU will mean medics of the future will leave this university with the technical and personal skills they need to deliver truly holistic, compassionate, patient-centred care" McClaran said.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

St Mary's University

Heidi Crowter says the current legislation discriminates against people with disabilities. It allows abortion up to birth if the foetus has a condition such as Down syndrome.

"I am taking this case to Strasbourg because it is downright discrimination that people with disabilities are treated differently," she says.

Crowter, a 27-year-old mother, has been actively campaigning against the legislation on social media to no avail.

She is preparing to appeal to the ECHR this week because England's Supreme Court refused to hear her case.

Crowter has campaigned for a law change since 2018. It was then she joined a legal challenge brought by a mother whose son has Down syndrome.

She argues the law's message is that people with disabilities are not valued equally and that it violates their human rights.

"In 2023, we live in a society where disabled people are valued equally after birth but not in the womb," she says.

The UK government defends the law as a balance between women's and unborn children's rights.

Abortion is a personal choice and women should have access to safe and legal services, the government argues.

The Court of Appeal ruled last November that the law was not unlawful and did not interfere with the rights of those who live with disabilities.

Growing support for Crowter

Disability-rights groups and pro-life organisations support Crowter's case.

Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE, a Christian charity that advocates for life issues, has this to say:

"It is completely wrong that disability is a ground for abortion up to birth. Would we accept a law allowing babies to be aborted to term based on their sex, or their race? The current approach sends a message that the lives of people with disabilities are worth less than others."

Lynn Murray, spokesperson for Don't Screen Us Out has a daughter with Down syndrome.

"It's inspiring to see that Heidi is now going to be taking her landmark case all the way to ... Strasbourg. As a mother of a 23-year-old daughter who has Down syndrome, I see every day the unique value she brings to our family and the positive impact she has on others around her."

Increasing statistics

There were 3,370 disability-selective abortions in 2021 - a nine percent increase from 3,083 in 2020.

Late-term abortions at 24 weeks' gestation or over where the baby had a disability increased by 20 percent from 229 to 274.

The law

In England, Wales and Scotland, there is a general 24-week time limit for abortion.

If the baby has a disability, including Down syndrome, cleft lip or a club foot, abortion is a egal right up to birth.

If Crowter wins her case at the ECHR in Strasbourg, it could have implications for all 46 Council of Europe countries as they are bound by its rulings.

Crowter hopes her case will inspire others to stand up for their human rights and dignity.

The ECHR decision is expected to be issued sometime in 2023.

Source

• Catholic News Agency

The Greens are now sitting at 11 per cent support in polling ahead of the May general election in the UK.

They are close to a position where they could influence policy of a future government.

Other policies of the Greens include removing the charitable status of independent schools and banning religious instruction during school hours.

Large schools would be broken up and "creative" subjects given as much weight as "academic" ones.

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The England and Wales bishops have produced a four page letter which asks Catholics to consider some fundamental ethical questions before they vote.

The letter is to be distributed in parishes this weekend.

Cardinal Nichols said that the document was principally concerned with solidarity, both with the wider world and the poor.

But he said that life issues such as abortion and euthanasia were the highest priority.

At a press conference at the launch of the document, Cardinal Nichols told Catholics: "Stir yourselves."

"We're citizens, we've been called to play a part in this society," he said.

"We have these ten weeks to raise the game and to make sure that some of these debates address the crucial issues."

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Charlie O'Donnell, a consultant in emergency and intensive care medicine, sounded this warning at a Catholic Medical Association Conference in the UK.

He said the best advice he could give to an "orthodox" Catholic wishing to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology would be to "emigrate".

Dr O'Donnell pointed out the difficulties for Catholics trying to object on conscience grounds to certain tasks during their training.

These included prescribing artificial contraception, giving unmarried couples fertility treatment and giving Viagra to gay couples.

The Healthcare Reference Group for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has received legal advice that any move that would see Catholics excluded from practising as gynaecologists would be unlawful.

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Mr Cameron argued that people who are terminally ill will feel unfairly pressurised into ending their lives.

Mr Cameron has opposed assisted dying before, but he was speaking out because a private members' bill drawn up by Lord (Charles) Falconer of Thoroton is due to be debated in the House of Lords in coming weeks.

The bill would allow terminally ill patients to end their lives if two doctors confirm they are unlikely to live more than six months.

It is modelled on the assisted suicide law in Oregon in the United States.

Mr Cameron said that any vote in the House of Commons would be a free vote.

He voiced concerns over patients coming under pressure, but said the House of Lords is doing useful work by debating this and bringing out some of the arguments.

Lord Falconer told The Tablet: "My bill contains safeguards to prevent people being pressured. It is better than current law where any investigation on pressure only takes place after death."

But opponents to the move - including Lord Carlile of Berriew and Baroness Butler-Sloss - say the safeguards are inadequate.

Assisted suicide, opposed by the Church, is legal in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Several previous attempts to legislate on the issue in the UK have failed.

Assisted suicide remains a criminal offence in England and Wales, technically punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Guidelines issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2010 indicated that anyone acting with compassion on the will of a dying person was unlikely to face criminal charges.

Since then, around 90 such cases have been examined and no one prosecuted.

But supporters of assisted suicide say a formal legislative change is long overdue to clarify the law and reduce unnecessary suffering.

Observers estimate that just over a third of MPs would back a change in the law, a smaller group is strongly opposed, and up to 40 per cent are undecided.

Sources

• The Tablet
• Daily Mail
• The Telegraph
• Image: The Mirror