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Bid to lift ban on Jews advising on Church of England roles launched
Legislation would remove Victorian-era restrictions affecting Jewish and Catholic prime ministers
Ministers have progressed plans to lift the ban on Jewish and Catholic prime ministers advising on senior Church of England appointments.
The Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on Tuesday.
If it is written in to the statute book, the Bill will enable Prime Minister Andy Burnham to advise the King on senior Church appointments.
Mr Burnham is the first practising Catholic in No 10 and, while the ban is in place, he has transferred responsibility for advising on Church appointments to Alex Norris, the Lord Chancellor.
Mr Burnham has previously described the ban as “unacceptable”.
Prime ministers traditionally advise the monarch on who should be offered senior roles in the Anglican Church, such as the archbishops of Canterbury and York, other bishops and cathedral deans.
But a Georgian law, the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829, places a block on “any person professing the Roman Catholic religion directly or indirectly” from advising on Church of England or Church of Scotland appointments.
The Jews Relief Act 1858, introduced during the reign of Queen Victoria, introduced a similar barrier for Jewish office-holders.
In a House of Commons written statement last week, Mr Burnham said it was “unacceptable for there to be a legislative bar against people of any faith performing all the functions” of his office.
The Bill would “correct this antiquated and archaic anomaly”, he added, and allow prime ministers practising any religion to give their advice.
The Bill was introduced without a debate, in a procedural stage known as first reading, and MPs and peers will have the opportunity to discuss the legislation in both Houses of Parliament on future dates, before it becomes law.
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