BHA supports calls for constitutional convention to end reserved right of bishops in Lords

23 January, 2015

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has come out in support of the Electoral Reform Society’s campaign for a constitutional convention to shape the future of UK politics. A nationwide, citizen-led convention would present an ideal opportunity for humanists and others to put forward the compelling case for reform of the House of Lords to remove the automatic sitting rights of the bishops.

At present, 26 Church of England bishops are automatically entitled to a seat in the House of Lords. From this privileged position in Parliament, they have a big say in shaping our law by speaking in debates and voting on legislation. This makes the UK the only democracy in the world which automatically reserves seats in its legislature for religious representatives; the only other country which does so is Iran.

The automatic right of Church of England bishops to sit in the Lords not only privileges one religion  at the expense of all others, but also privileges one particular branch of that faith. In a pluralistic society which is not only increasingly religiously and ethnically diverse, but also increasingly non-religious, this privileged position is wholly unjustified and deeply unfair. Far from being a harmless anachronism, the bishops in the Lords represent a glaring example of religious discrimination.

The BHA has long called for reform of the House of Lords to remove the bishops, and public opinion is with us: less than a quarter of British people think the bishops should be in the Lords. And while supporters argue that the bishops have a claim to moral superiority which justifies their position in the Lords, most people do not believe that religion is likely to make you a more moral person.

BHA Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns Pavan Dhaliwal commented ‘The case for removing the bishops from the House of Lords is overwhelming. Their privileged position in our political system is a clear example of undemocratic politics and a blatant instance of religious discrimination.  We support the campaign for a constitutional convention because it offers a unique chance to ensure that there is significant Lords reform which sees the bishops finally go.’

Ms Dhaliwal continued, ‘Moreover, we strongly support any campaign to improve engagement in democracy. Good politics is the enterprise of free individuals having a say in their governments and so we wholeheartedly support any initiative which gives citizens the chance to engage fully in that in freedom.’

Notes

For further comment or information, please contact BHA Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns Pavan Dhaliwal on pavan@humanists.uk or 0773 843 5059.

Read more about the BHA’s work on the previous Lords reform Bill: https://humanists.uk/2012/07/11/news-1072/

Read about the latest British Social Attitudes Survey: https://humanists.uk/2014/06/17/british-social-attitudes-survey-finds-people-religion-just-41-7-christian/