Did you know that 26 bishops from one denomination of one religion have the automatic right to sit, speak, and vote in the House of Lords?
We think that’s undemocratic, unrepresentative, and overdue for change.
The UK is alone among democratic sovereign states in having clerics vote on our laws – a hangover from 14th century medieval England. And it simply doesn’t reflect the country we are today.
As the Church of England’s recent opposition to same-sex marriages and its leaders’ comments about abortion and assisted dying have shown, a big values gap has opened up between the established church and an increasingly non-religious, religiously diverse, and tolerant country.
If like us, you think it’s time to work towards a more inclusive, pluralistic approach to politics, please write to your MP today.
Simply input your postcode in the ‘Write to your MP’ function on this page, and tell your MP to support removing the automatic right of Church of England bishops to sit in the House of Lords, so there can be a more accurate reflection of the UK’s pluralistic society.
Writing to your MP couldn’t be easier. We’ve suggested some text you can use, but please, if you are able, edit it to make it more personal – we know that MPs are more likely to take notice of personalised emails and queries, which are infinitely more powerful than standard letters.
Please let us know at campaigns@humanists.uk if you receive a response from your MP confirming that they will attend the debate.