New Dean of Portsmouth announced
THE Chancellor at Chichester Cathedral, Canon Anthony Cane (above), is to be the next Dean of Portsmouth, it has been announced. Canon Cane has served Chichester since 2007. He was born and raised in Cape Town, where he went to university. He came to the UK (his parents were from Kent) as an atheist, before meeting his wife Clare, whom he accompanied to church. He trained at Westcott House, Cambridge, served his curacy in Birmingham, and was senior chaplain at the University of Brighton before entering parish ministry in the diocese of Exeter. He said of his new appointment: “While there are challenges to face, the cathedral is well placed to go from strength to strength, and I am excited to be arriving at this point in its history.”
Fairtrade appeals seeks to cushion Brexit blow
THE international Christian charity Traidcraft Exchange has launched an emergency Christmas appeal for donations to support UK suppliers in the poorest parts of the world who, it says, are struggling with “the changing UK retail market and currency fluctuations associated with Brexit uncertainty”. Its sister business, Traidcraft, recently announced plans to slim down, including its product lines in the UK (News, 9 November). The appeal will include supporting suppliers that Traidcraft can no longer buy from. A spokesperson for Traidcraft Exchange, Kate Dixon, said: “For years artisans from poor and isolated regions have been able to sell to the UK fair-trade market. Now that existing deals are coming to an abrupt end, we owe it to them to cushion the blow and help them chart a new future.” www.traidcraft.org.uk/producers or 0191 497 6445
Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, suspended pending tribunal
THE Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, the Very Revd Dr Martyn Percy, has been formally suspended from his duties pending the outcome of a tribunal handling a complaint against him, the Bishop of Oxford, Dr Steven Croft, confirmed this week. The nature of the complaint is not publicly known, but is believed to relate to an issue of poor governance raised by the Dean (News, 5 November). Bishop Croft said in a statement on Saturday: “As always in such circumstances, suspension is a neutral act and does not imply that the complaint will be upheld. . . I remain in close contact with Martyn and Emma and with the Subdean and Chapter and the wider college through this difficult period. I am monitoring the situation closely. I also want to see that any allegations of bullying are properly investigated.” He wished Dr Percy a speedy recovery after a period of illness. A Go Fund Me page set up by Tom Keighley MP to support Dr Percy and his family had raised more than £47,000 by 383 people in less than two weeks, on Wednesday.
Bishop of Oxford to advise Government on data ethics
THE Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Steven Croft, has been appointed to a panel of independent advisers who will inform the first Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, the Digital Secretary, Jeremy Wright, confirmed on Tuesday. The panel, chaired by Roger Taylor, will “analyse and anticipate gaps in the governance landscape” in the UK, agree best practice on ethical uses of data, and advise the Government on specific policy or regulatory action. Bishop Croft said on Tuesday: “After climate change, the question of how we live well with technology is one of the most urgent questions of the age. We need a vigorous public debate on what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence; to move fast and mend things.”