Comment: Lord Harrison on Bishops in the Lords

Labour Humanist Group supporter Lord Harrison on why he would "rusticate" Bishops in the Lords

"As I write this piece on the role of the 26 Church of England Bishops in the House of Lords – the second and influential chamber of law-making in the United Kingdom – I am listening to the wonderful Lamentations of Jeremiah by the 16th century Palestrina. As a thoroughgoing atheist I never fail to immerse myself in the wonderful choral music produced by church composers all around Europe. Whilst many were devout in their belief in God, I have always had the uncharitable sense that they composed for the sheer love of hearing the human voice singing in harmony with fellow human beings. And it is that aspect of the music which draws me into their circle; quite why our Christian colleagues are uncomfortable with our annexation of the finest music that humans can produce I don’t know. But uncomfortable they are.

As a working peer in the House of Lords, I too am uncomfortable with the increasingly discordant and outdated note that the phalanx of 26 Bishops of the Church of England bring to our modern discourse in the debating of the Lords. They are there by right supposedly because we are deemed to be a nation with an Established Church and so they, but not other religious representatives, or indeed anyone from the atheist or humanist congregation, alone have the right to decide the laws of this country as they pertain to you and me and the vast majority of Britons who in their daily lives profess no religion, don’t go to church or who are indifferent to the blandishments of the Church.

That this block vote of 26 Bishops does have influence is exemplified in a recent vote in the Lords to extend adoption rights to gays and lesbians under the Equality act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations where, to a man – and they all are! – they supported opposition to this human rights measure invoking mumbo jumbo in preference to tolerance towards fellow human beings, a quality that some of us thought was championed by a certain Jesus of Nazareth. Their opposition failed, but too often their votes in a House where the Government commands only 30% of the vote has prevailed in important issues like the education of our children.

The reform of the House of Lords has so far bypassed the role of the Bishops. The Government in their original proposals foresaw a reduction from 26 to 16 (why 16?)but the votes in the House of Commons recently for an all-elected House eliminates the Bishops en bloc!

My own preference is for an all-appointed House (an elected House will have the unfortunate consequence of establishing constitutional gridlock with the Commons is maintained by not creating a rival democratically elected House); I would rusticate the Bishops and the Law Lords. I would then expect the Appointments Commission, charged with identifying and vetting people to serve in the Second Chamber, to use their judgement in inviting appropriate religious leaders from the wider Christian and of course from other religious and humanist groups representing modern Britain. Nor would it be appropriate as now that those so chosen would be ex officio: the emphasis should be on those who can make a real contribution to our debates and law-making. In embryo, this exists already as we draw on, for instance, Muslim colleagues who arrive in the Lords via their distinction in other walks of life. Or indeed retired Bishops like the former Bishop of Oxford (Cross-bencher, Richard Harries) and the late and outstanding Labour peer, the former Bishop of Liverpool the Rev David Sheppard.

One final gripe: I would be convinced more of the necessity of retaining the 26 Church of England Bishops if they practised what they preach in a more consistent manner in the Chambers itself. Despite their enjoinders to the rest of us to aspire to the virtue of humility, it is a regular occurrence in Lords debates for the good prelates to out-face and out-stare others who wish to speak by remaining standing until any unfortunate Lords wishing to contribute is cowered into sitting down by the chorus from the supporters of the clerics to hear the Bishops first and foremost! This chorus of ungracious intimidation to fellow members of the House is both surprising and discordantly a disharmony that I have no doubt Palestrina some 500 years ago would have found foreign to the canons of his beliefs!"

Lyndon Harrison, 25th March 2007

Comments

[Seculardemocrat]

Well... The Member for Opus Dei is still there. Still, better at transport than in education or welfare. Do you think Gordon put her there to implement the Pope's recent "Ten Commandments for Drivers"? Perhaps Gordon has a sense of humour after all.
Alan Rogers

[Custom term papers]

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[Term Papers]

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