Press Release

PRESS RELEASE Strictly embargoed until 00.01 on Monday 14 January Graeme Pringle To: News desk From: Communication Officer for the Diocese of Coventry Date: 14 Jan 2013 Email: [email protected] Office: 024 7452 1336 Mobile: 07507 196 495 Bishop of Coventry to become a member of the House of Lords The Right Reverend Dr. Christopher Cocksworth will be introduced to the Upper House on Tuesday 15 January by the Bishop of Birmingham and the Bishop of Exeter. He will join 25 other Anglican bishops in the Lords, all of whom play a full and active role in the work of the House, from questions and debates to voting on legislative issues. The tradition of bishops sitting in parliament dates back to its earliest origins and it is today an important expression of both the constitutional role of the established Church and of the enduring place of religion in public life. The formal introduction will include Bishop Christopher taking the oath and signing the roll of Lords. He will also be meeting senior figures in the Lords and, at an appropriate point in a forthcoming debate, he will make his maiden speech. Regarding his admission to the Lords, Bishop Christopher said: “I greatly look forward to fulfilling the responsibilities of a member of the House of Lords and, although my concern will be the good of the whole of society, I hope that my contribution to the Lords will be of special value to the life of Coventry and Warwickshire.” All the bishops in the Lords belong to the Church of England, and their presence is very much appreciated by the leaders of other Christian Churches and also the leaders of other Faiths. Of the 26, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York always have seats in the Lords, as do the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester. The remaining bishops' seats are filled according to the length of time they have served as diocesan bishops. Bishop Christopher is filling the vacancy resulting from the retirement of the Bishop of Blackburn. He has been the Bishop of Coventry since 2008 and will carry out his duties at the House of Lords until he ceases to be a serving bishop. Bishop Christopher’s contributions in the House, as well as those of the other bishops in the Lords, are to be tweeted by the Church’s Parliamentary team on @churchstate. -ends- For press enquiries, please contact Graeme Pringle on 024 7652 1336 or mobile 07507 196 495. Page 1 Notes to Editors Bishop Christopher will be introduced to the House at 2.30 pm on the 15th and this can be viewed on BBC Democracy Live at the following link… http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_lords/default.stm or on Parliament TV at the following link… http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Home.aspx Twenty six bishops of the Church of England sit in the House of Lords. Known as the Lords Spiritual, they read prayers at the start of each daily meeting and play a full and active role in the life and work of the Upper House. The following notes can be found on the Church of England website at… http://www.churchofengland.org/our-views/the-church-in-parliament/bishops-in-the-house-of-lords.aspx History Christian religious leaders have had an active role in the legislative affairs of the country since before the formation of the Church of England. Prior to the 11th century feudal landlords and religious leaders were regularly consulted by Saxon kings. In the 14th century, religious leaders and landed gentry formed the 'Upper House' (the Lords) as, respectively, the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. Local representatives formed the 'Lower House' (the Commons). Apart from a brief interruption following the English Civil war, religious leaders have played an active role in parliament ever since. The continuing place of Anglican bishops in the Lords reflects our enduring constitutional arrangement, with an established Church of England and its Supreme Governor as Monarch and Head of State. Although there are 44 dioceses in the present-day Church of England, the Bishopric of Manchester Act of 1847 limited the number of places for Lords Spiritual to 26. In the Upper House today the 26 Lords Spiritual constitute around 3.5% of its membership. Which bishops become Lords Spiritual? The Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Bishops of Durham, London and Winchester are ex-officio members of the House of Lords. The remaining 21 places on the Bishops' Bench are not determined by diocese, but are occupied by those English diocesan bishops that have served the longest. When bishops retire from their see (compulsory at 70), their membership of the House also ceases. Occasionally some have become life peers, and this is usually the case for former archbishops. What do they do in Parliament? There is always a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords when it is sitting, to read prayers at the start of the day and to participate in the business of the House. Attendance in the House to read prayers is determined by the Lords Spiritual on a weekly rota basis, but bishops also choose to attend the House on an ad-hoc basis when matters of interest and concern to them are before it (the links on this page to individual Lords Spiritual provide more details). Who do they represent in Parliament? There is no 'Bishops' Party' and as non-aligned members, their activities in the Upper House are not whipped. Like other members of the Lords, they do not represent a parliamentary constituency, although their work is often closely informed by their diocesan role. They sit as individual Lords Spiritual, and as such they have much in common with the independent Crossbenchers and those who are not party-affiliated. Their presence in the Lords is an extension of their general vocation as bishops to preach God's word and to lead people in prayer. Bishops provide an important independent voice and spiritual insight to the work of the Upper House and, while they make no claims to direct representation, they seek to be a voice for all people of faith, not just Christians. Page 2 .

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