Should Anglican Bishops still have seats in the House of Lords?
14 February 2012
Dr Meg Russell's appeared on Radio 4's Beyond Belief, on a panel discussing whether Anglican Bishops should remain in the House of Lords. Listen to the programme:
Radio 4 Beyond Belief (13.02.12)
The government's recent proposal to cap welfare benefits at £26,000 a
year received a setback when an amendment to exclude child benefit from
the cap was passed in the House of Lords. The amendment was proposed by
the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and supported by four other Bishops. The
Bishops' action has added fuel to the debate about whether Anglican
Bishops should still have a statutory right to seats in the Upper
Chamber. When less than 2% of the population attends an Anglican Church
on a Sunday, why should 26 of its clergy exercise any influence on the
deliberations of the Upper House of Parliament?
Further information:
Meg Russell's research project on the House of Lords