The House of Commons voted by a large majority today to have a fully elected second chamber. The British Humanist Association (BHA) welcomes the fact that, under proposed reforms, the automatic right of Bishops to sit in the legislature would be removed.
BHA Chief Executive Hanne Stinsoncommented, ‘We welcome any reform to the House of Lords which ends the privileging of any one religious denomination in British politics.
‘Removing the automatic right of Bishops to sit in the legislature will bring Britain in-line with other Western democracies, none of which give such a privilege to religious representatives’.
The BHA believes that the ending of religious privilege and discrimination in our parliament is long overdue. The UK is an increasingly diverse society, not least in terms of religious and non-religious beliefs. To continue to privilege one denomination of one religion in Government is unrepresentative and unjustifiable in modern Britain and any reforms which will end this are to be welcomed.
You can read the BHA’s full arguments against religious representation in Parliament here
Notes to Editors
For further comment contact Hanne Stinson by email or on 020 7079 3583
The British Humanist Association (BHA) represents and supports the non-religious. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief, and for a secular state.