What happens when Church of England bishops hold unelected seats in the House of Lords? Not surprisingly, they get criticized when they are seen to be protecting the interests of the Church over the interests of the country. This is what has happened during the ongoing debate over the Equality Bill. The Equality Bill is intended “to harmonise discrimination law, and to strengthen the law to support progress on equality.”
Recently in the Equality Bill debates, the bishops fought for and won their special right to retain the right to legally discriminate against gay employees. This has won their unelected presence in the House of Lords a fresh round of criticism, with words like “privileged” and “unaccountable” being frequently used.
Happily, several senior bishops are making an effort at compromise (and perhaps distract from the question of the wisdom of their unelected presence in the House of Lords).
Full Story from Pam’s House Blend
Click here for gay marriage resources in England.
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