The UK Government must carry out long overdue reform of the teaching of Religious Education (RE) in England to meet the needs of modern society, says Humanists UK in response to another Ofsted review.  In its deep-dive report into RE – Deep and meaningful? – Ofsted found that the current curriculum often lacks ‘sufficient substance to prepare pupils to live in a complex world’. It also found that here was a ‘profound misconception among some leaders and teachers that ‘teaching from a neutral stance’ equates to teaching a non-religious worldview’, On the issue of non-religious worldviews ..read more

Humanists UK has launched its groundbreaking interactive virtual tour for schools, created in partnership with Conway Hall Ethical Society and made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. One of only two surviving buildings in the UK built by and for the non-religious, this virtual tour of London’s Conway Hall will enable young people to learn about humanism past and present like never before. The virtual tour Built by 3D virtual exhibition producers V21 Artspace, the virtual tour brings Conway Hall to life, featuring 360-degree panoramic views, high-definition imagery, and informativ ..read more

As the UK government doubles down on its Rwanda deportation plans – even considering withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to push the policy through – Humanists UK yet again condemns the inhumanity of both policies, as well as pointing out how it endangers people seeking asylum on grounds of their non-religious beliefs because of Rwanda’s blasphemy laws. The defiance of the European Court of Human Rights – a vital part of the UK’s legal system – marks a dramatic turning point in UK immigration policy, and Humanists UK’s critique highlights the urgent ethical and lega ..read more

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has updated its assisted suicide figures, revealing that five assisted suicide cases have been referred to them in the past year. Humanists UK calls for parliament to legalise assisted dying, instead of leaving an unclear law to be interpreted by the CPS. From 1 April 2009 up to 31 March 2024, the CPS’s manual records show: 187 cases that have been recorded as assisted suicide have been referred to the CPS by the police. Five new cases from 31 March 2023 to 31 March 2024 127 were not proceeded with by the CPS (an increase of two) 36 cases were withdrawn b ..read more

Pictured: Rishi Sunak, HM Treasury official Flickr, photo license: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED On 7 April 2024 the Sunday Times reported that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering giving even more power to state-funded faith schools following lobbying from Catholic leaders and supportive Conservative MPs. This has reignited the debate about the ability of state-funded faith schools to discriminate against locally based children not of the ‘right faith’. Humanists UK, who successfully campaigned against similar plans in 2018, have responded to the story with alarm.  Lewis Young, the Education ..read more

Humanists UK has raised alarms over the growing influence of ‘dark money’ and other funding from American sources in UK politics, particularly influencing debates on abortion, LGBT rights, assisted dying, and faith schools.  Following the overturning of Roe v Wade in the United States, the shift of American capital for Christian fundamentalist campaigning to the United Kingdom is intended to import the highly divisive and polarising political tactics of the American religious right into UK political discourse.  Due to the US laws governing not-for-profit organisations, American dono ..read more

It has been reported by The Sunday Times that the Government is considering plans to remove the 50% admissions cap on new faith schools in England. This would mean that they would no longer have to offer a proportion of their places to children who do not follow their religion but would instead be able to apply religious discrimination in 100% of their admissions. Humanists UK Has expressed its alarm that this change is being considered. The same proposal was dropped by the Government in 2018 following a campaign culminating in a joint letter opposing the change, signed by religious leaders ..read more

Pictured: NHS pioneer and humanist, Nye Bevan, the day the act came into effect, 5 July 1948, Park Hospital, Davyhulme. For World Health Day, we’re celebrating the humanist visionaries who spearheaded better healthcare in the UK! Here are five ways humanists have pioneered better healthcare: 1) The National Health Service Since its inception, the NHS has continued to represent fundamentally humanist values: that scientific advancements can be harnessed for social progress, that people with differing beliefs can cooperate for the common good, and that every human being should be trea ..read more

Humanists UK is celebrating the ten year anniversary of the first same-sex marriages in England and Wales. Whereas the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act received Royal Assent on 17 July 2013, it took some time to implement this change, so the Act only came into force the following year. The first same-sex marriages took place just after midnight on 29 March 2014. The Act’s primary aim was to allow for marriages of same-sex couples across England and Wales, and Humanists UK was a leading voice in bringing about this pivotal change. It was a founding member of the Coalition for Equal Marriag ..read more

Another major nonfiction book on humanism is on its way. What I Believe, an inspiring collection of interviews with over thirty different humanists in the public eye, originally for the Humanists UK podcast of the same name, will be released in November 2024. Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson speaks to actors, authors, activists, and more to find out what they believe and the values, convictions, and opinions they live by. It includes conversations with Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig, and Alice Roberts, among many, many more. Inspired by the What I Believe essays of two humanist greats ..read more