MPs Asked To Force Church Of England To Accept Women Bishops

MPs Asked To Force Church Of England To Accept Women Bishops

MPs will be asked to support a move to force the Church of England to allow women Bishops, following the controversial decision last year to block the move.

Labour MP Diana Johnson will table her Bishops (Consecration of Women) Bill on Wednesday, a piece of legislation initiated by her alone rather than the government, that would force the Church of England to allow women to be Bishops.

Johnson told HuffPost UK that she was "really shocked" when the general synod of the Church of England voted narrowly against the appointment of women bishops in November last year.

The Hull North MP said her main concern was the decision imposed inequality on parliament. "I was very angry when this happened, more so because the reason I am really bringing this Bill is because we have an established Church," she said.

"The church has 26 bishops in the House of Lords, the decision is entrenching the fact we retain 26 places in the Lords for men."

Johnson said that given the Church was established it was a decision that parliament "really needs to comment on" as "the inequality in the Church is not acceptable today".

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