Following the Church of England Synod’s vote against allowing women bishops earlier this week, Labour Humanists has restated its position that the Labour Party should speak out for equality and against religious privilege, and put secularism and disestablishment at heart of its policy and parliamentary agenda.
Naomi Phillips, chair of Labour Humanists, commented, ‘The refusal to comply with basic gender equality law and maintaining its sexist approach to women in employment shows the Church of England as completely unsuitable to be part of the state. It should certainly prevent it from having those automatic seats in Parliament from which it bars women, and it illustrates how out of touch it is with a modern, liberal and inclusive society.
‘Yet even if they did allow women to be bishops that would be no reason for the Church to retain its reserved seats in the Lords, or to remain as the established Church of England with all the unearned privileges and power that come with it.
‘Parliament should not waste time trying to reform the Church and instead use this as a good opportunity to focus on passing legislation to disestablish it, and to abolish automatic seats for its bishops in the Lords. As the Party which should have equality at its heart, we would like Labour to take the lead in that endeavour.’
Action on bishops in the Lords
Support the British Humanist Association’s (BHA) @HolyRedundant campaign to get the bishops out the Lords.