Lords Spiritual
February 2022
Although there are 42 dioceses in the present-day Church of England, the number of places for Lords Spiritual is limited to 26 by statute. This includes the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, as well as the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester, with the remaining 21 places on the Bishops’ Bench occupied by the longest-serving bishops of English dioceses. As you may be aware, bishops retire from the House of Lords when they leave office as a bishop.
When the House of Lords is sitting, there is always at least one Lord Spiritual present to read prayers at the start of the day and to participate in business of the House. It is important to note that official proceedings cannot begin until prayers have been read. Attendance in the House to read prayers is determined by a rota, with Bishops also able to attend on an ad-hoc basis when matters of interest or concern are scheduled.
By and large, I am very sympathetic to your points. Our constitution is a product of our history, and reforms tend to lag considerably changes in society. It is amazing we still have hereditary peers in the House of Lords, elected to that position by themselves. I agree the number of bishops should be reduced, and I will push for this.
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