Category Archives: Admin bits and pieces

News just in from the British Humanist Association. AC Grayling will not be taking up the Presidency of the BHA as he was expected to this weekend, because of the controversy surrounding his role in the new ‘New College of the Humanities’. Instead, current president Polly Toynbee will be staying on for a bit until they find someone new. We have previous covered Richard Dawkins’ comments on his role in the NCH on the Pod Delusion and will have further coverage on this week’s programme.

Here’s the BHA’s statement they’ve just released to their subscribers:

Anthony Grayling, the President-elect of the BHA, has decided to step down from that position and not to take office as President on 1 July.

In doing so Professor Grayling said, ‘It was an honour to be named President of the British Humanist Association and I very much looked forward to working alongside the staff and trustees over the next two years to promote Humanism – a vitally important task in today’s world. Unfortunately, I believe that controversy generated by activities in another area of my public life will make it difficult in the next two years for me to be the sort of President that I would like to be for the BHA and all its members and supporters. In deciding to stand down and let the Trustees of the BHA appoint an alternative President, I wish them all the best in their important task.’

Robert Ashby, Chair of the Trustees of the BHA, has responded, ‘We thank Anthony Grayling for the concern he has shown for the BHA and its work and regret the circumstances that have led him to step down as our President-elect. His decades of work in the causes that humanists espouse – secularism in our public life, freedom and human rights at home and globally, science and reason in our struggle to know the universe and humanity in our treatment of ourselves and other people – remain of great value.’

Polly Toynbee, currently President of the BHA, will continue as President until a new President is appointed by the Trustees later this year.

Many thanks to all of you for your ongoing support of the work of the BHA.

We’re releasing this early as it’s too good to save! You may remember last Friday when Rich Peppiatt’s public resignation letter to the Daily Star made the headlines. He resigned citing, amongst other things, the paper’s alleged cosying up to the English Defence League as one of the the reasons.

We’ve managed to get the scoop and The Pod Delusion’s Sean Ellis spoke to him yesterday about why he decided to resign in such spectacular fashion. It’s worth noting that the Daily Star themselves refute many (if not all) of the allegations Rich makes so this should only be considered to be Rich’s account of what his time at the paper was like. You can read their full riposte at the bottom of the page on here.

Note: We’ve put this on the Pod Delusion Extra feed as a shorter version of this interview will appear in Friday’s normal Pod Delusion programme. You can find out how to subscribe to Pod Delusion Extra here.

If you’re new here, why not check out our normal weekly Pod Delusion programme?