An SNP MP has called for bishops to have their “privileged” reserved position in the House of Lords removed, claiming that it is unfair for the Church of England to have a guaranteed role in Parliament.
Tommy Sheppard led a Parliamentary debate on Thursday, July 6, calling for Anglican bishops to no longer be granted guaranteed seats in the 800-strong House of Lords.
He said that reserving 26 seats in Parliament’s upper chamber for bishops, including two for the archbishops of Canterbury and York gives “democracy a bad name”.
Tory MP Chris Loder agreed and said that it was “damaging” for clergymen to become involved in political debates. Earlier this week the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby criticised the Government’s immigration policies.
Yet Labour MP Neil Coyle said he would be “disappointed” if Church of England bishops were not participating in political debate.
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Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart responded on behalf of the Government, saying that removing bishops from the House of Lords was “not something that the Government will be engaging in”.
The 2021 census data showed that Christianity is in decline among Britons with less than half the population of England and Wales describing themselves as Christian, and many more now claiming they have no religion. Mr Sheppard said that Parliament needed to take note of the change in public sentiment.
He told the PA News Agency: “I don’t seek to exclude people of faith from Parliament, I just say they shouldn’t have a special privileged section where they and only they inhabit this bunch of seats.”
A Church of England spokesperson said that bishops serving in the House of Lords provide “an independent, non-partisan voice in parliamentary debates, bringing an ethical and spiritual perspective that is also informed by their roles as key figures in local civil society”.
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