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Wed, 8 May 2024

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Sophie Church

Sophie Church

Sophie Church is a Reporter at The House magazine.

Dale Vince: 'I’ve spent 30 years in renewable energy. I understand the wind and the sun'
Energy
By Sophie Church
Dale Vince: 'I’ve spent 30 years in renewable energy. I understand the wind and the sun'
Labour donor Dale Vince speaks to Sophie Church about China, Just Stop Oil and why he doesn’t regret controversial comments about Hamas. Illustration by Tracy Worrall
Indian election: How will the Conservatives and Labour handle another Modi triumph?
Foreign affairs
By Sophie Church
Indian election: How will the Conservatives and Labour handle another Modi triumph?
Successive Tory PMs have put aside qualms over Narendra Modi in the pursuit of boosting trade with India, with little success. But, as Sophie Church reports, a Labour government might find India’s controversial leader an even more difficult problem
Former Armed Forces Minister Says UK Must Boost Ukraine Aid For Decisive Victory
Defence
Former Armed Forces Minister Says UK Must Boost Ukraine Aid For Decisive Victory
Recent military aid packages to Ukraine will not be enough to ensure a decisive victory in the war with Russia, former armed forces minister James Heappey has said.
“The question is not to diminish funding; the question is to increase funding': The World Health Organization interview
Health
By Sophie Church
“The question is not to diminish funding; the question is to increase funding": The World Health Organization interview
Donald Trump said he would suspend funding to the World Health Organization in the pandemic. Now, some in the UK question our membership. Sophie Church speaks to Europe’s regional director Hans Kluge about why the WHO is preparing for the worst
Doctor's orders: Why patients are still fighting to receive a medical cannabis prescription
Health
By Sophie Church
Doctor's orders: Why patients are still fighting to receive a medical cannabis prescription
Medical cannabis was legalised in 2018, but patients are still fighting to be prescribed. Sophie Church looks at whether a Labour government would make access simpler
World Health Authority questions UK reliance on physician associates
Health
By Sophie Church
World Health Authority questions UK reliance on physician associates
The World Health Organization (WHO) has questioned the UK’s employment of Physician Associates (PAs), as the debate over their place in the NHS continues.
Restoration & Renewal Debate Postponed Until After Election
Parliament
By Sophie Church
Restoration & Renewal Debate Postponed Until After Election
MPs will be unable to debate the options tabled for Parliament’s restoration and renewal (R&R) before the general election, a member of the R&R Client Board has claimed.
'We are actually bloody well leading this thing': The Grant Shapps interview
Defence
By Sophie Church
'We are actually bloody well leading this thing': The Grant Shapps interview
The British army may be shrinking and its nuclear missiles misfiring, but Grant Shapps tells Sophie Church the UK is leading the way on modern warfare. Photography by Louise Haywood-Schiefer
'It's a new Middle Ages': The Richard Ratcliffe interview
Foreign affairs
By Sophie Church
"It's a new Middle Ages": The Richard Ratcliffe interview
Richard Ratcliffe spent years urging the UK government to do more to release his wife, Nazanin, from Iranian detention. He tells Sophie Church that Parliament needs to follow the US Congress in ensuring sanctions hit hard and true
Wrong side of the track: How HS2 became a nightmare for those farming its route
Communities
By Sophie Church
Wrong side of the track: How HS2 became a nightmare for those farming its route
Once a totem of levelling-up, now a national embarrassment, HS2 has become a political disaster. But, as Sophie Church reports, few have suffered as much as those living along its route. Illustration by Tracy Worrall
Iran Sent Missiles To Russia, Defence Secretary Indicates
Defence
Iran Sent Missiles To Russia, Defence Secretary Indicates
Grant Shapps has delivered the clearest hint yet that Iran has supplied ballistic missiles to Russia.
A Woman of Fibre: The Jackie Weaver Interview
Political parties
By Sophie Church
A Woman of Fibre: The Jackie Weaver Interview
Jackie Weaver became a household name over lockdown, for holding her ground in a chaotic parish council Zoom call. Today, she tells Sophie Church why standing for Parliament would leave her with no authority
Current affairs: how maritime trade can survive our changing world
Defence
By Sophie Church
Current affairs: how maritime trade can survive our changing world
The Red Sea crisis underlines maritime trade’s vulnerabilities. Sophie Church reports how complex global supply chains are adapting to an increasingly uncertain maritime world. Illustrations by Tracy Worrall
Supply teacher: How schools became the last outpost of the welfare state
Education
By Sophie Church
Supply teacher: How schools became the last outpost of the welfare state
Britain’s welfare state is in retreat – but should schools plug the gap? Sophie Church visits one outpost to see if the model is sustainable
UK Set To Deploy Aircraft Carrier In The Red Sea In Response To Houthi Attacks
Defence
By Sophie Church
UK Set To Deploy Aircraft Carrier In The Red Sea In Response To Houthi Attacks
The Government's Armed Forces Minister has indicated that the UK could send an aircraft carrier to the Red Sea when the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower – an American carrier currently present in the region – returns home.
'The Home Office shouldn’t have anything to do with children': The Children's Commissioner interview
Education
By Sophie Church
'The Home Office shouldn’t have anything to do with children': The Children's Commissioner interview
Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza tells Sophie Church why Elon Musk needs to take his fatherhood more seriously and why she thinks the Home Office ‘shouldn’t have anything to do with children’
Safe House? The dangers MPs and their staff face – and how to protect them
Parliament
By Sophie Church
Safe House? The dangers MPs and their staff face – and how to protect them
Since 2015, spending to keep MPs and their staff safe has gone from £160,000 to more than £4m. As abuse and threats spike again over the horrifying events in Gaza and Israel, Sophie Church explores the dangers MPs and their staff face, and what can be done to protect them
Britain's first astronaut: The Helen Sharman interview
Technology
By Sophie Church
Britain's first astronaut: The Helen Sharman interview
Helen Sharman, Britain’s first astronaut, speaks to Sophie Church about the UK’s prospects in space, how ties with Russia ‘are not completely cut’ and why her historic role may be misunderstood
Parliament's Restoration & Renewal Programme Facing Contractor Reluctance
Parliament
By Sophie Church
Parliament's Restoration & Renewal Programme Facing Contractor Reluctance
Parliament’s Restoration and Renewal (R&R) programme is struggling to attract companies to tender for work on the estate as the House prevaricates about essential works, MPs have said.
Taxpayers Are Growing Impatient With Parliament's Restoration Delays
Parliament
By Sophie Church
Taxpayers Are Growing Impatient With Parliament's Restoration Delays
Members of the public are growing increasingly impatient with delays to Parliament’s restoration and renewal programme, new polling suggests.
David Cameron Is Keen To Face Commons Scrutiny
Parliament
By Sophie Church
David Cameron Is Keen To Face Commons Scrutiny
Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, has reportedly told MPs he supports efforts to allow them to scrutinise his role.
Can offshore asylum processing ever work?
Home affairs
By Sophie Church
Can offshore asylum processing ever work?
The UK government’s Rwanda scheme is in trouble, but escalating migrant numbers are forcing other European nations to consider similar approaches. Sophie Church explores the attraction – and problems – of so-called offshore processing. Illustrations by Tracy Worrall
Selling the City: Michael Mainelli, the new Lord Mayor of London
Communities
By Sophie Church
Selling the City: Michael Mainelli, the new Lord Mayor of London
Michael Mainelli, the new Lord Mayor of London, tells Sophie Church the City needs to improve its ‘customer experience’ but is well-placed to be the ‘world’s coffee house’
ICGS Director Wants To Reduce Bullying Complaints Threshold
Parliament
By Sophie Church
ICGS Director Wants To Reduce Bullying Complaints Threshold
Parliamentary authorities want to lower the threshold for launching bullying investigations at Westminster to deal with the “horror stories” of persistent offenders.
Full Account: The Thea Walton interview
Parliament
By Sophie Church
Full Account: The Thea Walton interview
Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) was set up in 2018 to investigate allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct. Sophie Church speaks to director Thea Walton about how the scheme is performing, and whether Parliament is a safe place to work
The Baroness Moyo interview: 'We’re going to be fine. But we want to be more than fine. We want to be making progress'
Economy
By Sophie Church
The Baroness Moyo interview: "We’re going to be fine. But we want to be more than fine. We want to be making progress"
Politicians from all parties agree that growing the economy is vital. The question is, how do we do it? Baroness Moyo speaks to Sophie Church about plans to boost productivity, trade-offs that have to be made on net-zero and why the Bank of England’s relationship with government is repairable. Photography by Louise Haywood-Schiefer
MPs Call For Mandatory Security Training In Parliament Over Fears Of Foreign Interference
Foreign affairs
By Sophie Church
MPs Call For Mandatory Security Training In Parliament Over Fears Of Foreign Interference
A group of parliamentarians has written to parliamentary authorities to call for tightened security in the Houses of Parliament following heightened fears of foreign interference.
Going digital: Will the public realise the value of digitising NHS data?
Health
By Sophie Church
Going digital: Will the public realise the value of digitising NHS data?
The NHS is about to make it far easier for hospitals to share data, including patient records, in the latest stage of its digitisation drive. But is enough being done to win public backing for moves to realise its huge value, asks Sophie Church
Where are they now? Andrew Dismore
Political parties
By Sophie Church
Where are they now? Andrew Dismore
With a grandfather, father and brother who all served as local councillors, Andrew Dismore, the Labour MP for Hendon from 1997 to 2010, says that politics was a constant presence in his life.
Labour's left are leaving, but are they right to be saying they've been dismissed unfairly?
Political parties
By Sophie Church
Labour's left are leaving, but are they right to be saying they've been dismissed unfairly?
Since Keir Starmer became Labour leader, figures on the left of the party have resigned, lost their seats or been blocked from longlists. Are they right to say that they have been cast out unfairly? Sophie Church reports. Illustrations by Tracy Worrall
Policy promises: How can the Labour Party be defined today?
Political parties
By Sophie Church
Policy promises: How can the Labour Party be defined today?
As a general election looms, the Labour Party continues to drop former pledges. Sophie Church considers what kind of party it has become in consequence
Search is on for next Interim Children’s Parliament PM
Parliament
By Sophie Church
Search is on for next Interim Children’s Parliament PM
The current Interim Children’s Parliament Prime Minister is on the lookout for his successor in primary schools across the United Kingdom, as he moves into secondary school and leaves the post.
“It would be a mistake to be fooled by Craig’s jolly exterior; he’s sharp as a razor”: Meet Craig Williams
Political parties
By Sophie Church
“It would be a mistake to be fooled by Craig’s jolly exterior; he’s sharp as a razor”: Meet Craig Williams
If you had asked Craig Williams 10 years ago what he would be doing today, he would have said running a pub. But instead of pulling pints, Williams came to Westminster. Now, as the PM’s PPS, Sophie Church meets the man on the rise in Parliament. Illustration by Tracy Worrall
Tory MP Issues Plea For Party To Finally Ban Conversion Therapy
Political parties
By Sophie Church
Tory MP Issues Plea For Party To Finally Ban Conversion Therapy
Dehenna Davison, the Conservative MP for Bishop Auckland, has said the Conservative Party must be the party to ban conversion therapy after continued stalling on the issue.
Red wall, blue wall: Can the Tory coalition hold?
Political parties
By Sophie Church
Red wall, blue wall: Can the Tory coalition hold?
The Conservatives’ victory in 2019 led many to believe there had been a fundamental realignment in British politics as the party swept through a so-called red wall of formerly Labour seats. Now, the Tories face an uphill struggle to retain those gains, and appear vulnerable in some of their own blue wall heartlands. Sophie Church explores how the party intends to keep together its electoral coalition
30 years of service: The Lord Harries of Pentregarth interview
Parliament
By Sophie Church
30 years of service: The Lord Harries of Pentregarth interview
Lord Harries of Pentregarth is only the second diocesan bishop to return to the House post-retirement. Now, in his 30th year in the House of Lords, he speaks to Sophie Church about Lords reform, his achievements, and the moralising rhetoric he currently sees in Parliament