Local councils should be given control of closed churches and the emerging reuse of church buildings should be encouraged, most obviously by social enterprises. . . Social enterprises in Britain are now turning over a phenomenal £78bn. They show the scope for local innovation when given the opportunity. Church buildings could be one such opportunity

Simon Jenkins, The Guardian, 25 October

I have huge respect for Simon Jenkins but this “solution”, which he has long advocated, is wrong. What our ancient churches need is not taking over by local councils but Government funding, as provided in the rest of Europe. They are everyone’s heritage

John Inge, former Bishop of Worcester, X/Twitter, 25 October

From food banks to school uniform schemes, from dementia initiatives to help with soaring fuel bills: as the state has retreated, churches have stepped in across the country. All these have to happen out of a physical somewhere. You can’t give someone a hot meal via an app. . . Removing the buildings where these things happen, in particular at a time when other state provision is being cut, can only lead to more costs — in both human and financial terms — in the future as the vulnerable are pushed over the edge

Fergus Butler Gallie, priest and writer, The Daily Telegraph, 29 October

The prison population has to come down. We put lots of people in prison who should not be there. Once you put someone in prison, there is a scar that will affect them for the rest of their life. When they try to get a job, when they try to rent a property, when they try to do anything to lift them out of the slough of despond, the mark that they have been in prison affects them for ever

John Major, former Prime Minister, The Times, 26 October

Lots of women who are in prison; they really don’t pose a risk to the public, most of them only pose a risk to themselves

Edwina Grosvenor, founder of One Small Thing, diocese of Gloucester podcast, 22 October

Welby has admitted his connections. And now he must go further. Apology and acknowledgment lead logically to support for calls for reparations, in the Caribbean, West Africa and here. It’s a progression that many families with this story, from Britain and other enslaving nations of Europe, have embraced

Alex Renton, The Guardian, 23 October

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