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Church Appointments Bill Clears the Commons in One Day

MPs passed a bill on 21 October letting a Catholic or Jewish Prime Minister advise the King on Church appointments. It now goes to the Lords.

ByPeter
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The House of Commons passed the Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill through all its stages on 21 October, without a vote. The short government bill removes 19th-century rules that stop a Roman Catholic or Jewish person from advising the monarch on Church appointments. Those rules took effect in practice for the first time when Andy Burnham, a Catholic, became Prime Minister in July, according to HansardBill). The bill now goes to the House of Lords.

At a glance

  • Bill: Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill, introduced on 15 September 2026 (bills.parliament.uk).
  • Vote: second reading, committee and third reading all on 21 October, each agreed without a division (a formal recorded vote).
  • Main change: repeals section 18 of the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 and section 4 of the Jews Relief Act 1858.
  • Next: Lords stages, then Royal Assent; the law takes effect on the day it receives Royal Assent.
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What the bill does

The monarch appoints Church of England archbishops and bishops on the advice of the Prime Minister, who passes on the Church’s chosen candidate rather than picking between candidates, minister Hamish Falconer told MPs. Under the 1829 and 1858 Acts, a Catholic or Jew who gives that advice can be barred from holding any civil or military office under the Crown, including Prime Minister.

Cabinet Office minister Mark Ferguson said in committee that clause 1, the only working clause, will:

  • End the advice ban: remove the restriction on Catholics and Jews advising the sovereign on Church appointments.
  • End the patronage ban: remove a parallel rule on office holders, such as the Lord Chancellor, who can nominate parish clergy directly.
  • Close off prosecutions: once in force, no one can be convicted under the old penalty provisions.

Clause 2 makes the bill apply across the whole United Kingdom and brings it into force on Royal Assent, according to HansardBill).

Where it stands

  • July 2026: Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister; in the interim he has transferred his role in Church appointments to the Lord Chancellor, according to the government.
  • 15 September 2026: first reading (formal introduction) in the Commons.
  • 21 October 2026: MPs agreed a timetable motion to take every Commons stage that day, then gave the bill a second reading, a committee stage of the whole House and a third reading, all without a division.

What supporters and critics say

Falconer called the bill “modest” but said it is “an important step forward in ensuring that our laws reflect our belief that a Prime Minister’s faith should not restrict their ability to undertake their role.” He told MPs that once it passes there will be no remaining religious restrictions affecting ministers.

Shadow minister Mike Wood said the Conservatives support the bill, calling the old rule “an archaic anomaly and unacceptable discrimination.” The party asked the government to confirm that the bill has no wider constitutional effect and that the Lord Chancellor arrangement is temporary. Ferguson replied that the arrangement will end once the bill is passed and that “the existing arrangements between the Crown, the Government and the established Church will remain.” Wood also said the Opposition recommends a convention under which Prime Ministers who are not members of the Church of England keep their formal role but hand active involvement in choices to others.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson Lisa Smart said her party supports the bill. She called it “a sensible fix to a problem he faces personally” and said wider democratic reforms still await action. Reform UK MP Danny Kruger said he supports the principle and would not oppose it.

The Father of the House, Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh, a Catholic, said he does not oppose the bill. He raised a point of order asking whether it should count as a hybrid bill, one that affects a particular person differently from others, because its explanatory notes refer to the current Prime Minister. Deputy Speaker Judith Cummins ruled that the number of people affected is not relevant to that test, since the bill removes a disqualification from two whole categories of people.

Analysis: With no party that spoke opposing it and no division at any stage, the bill’s main remaining question is timing in the Lords. The open debate is about convention, not law: how far a Prime Minister outside the Church of England should be involved in choosing bishops.

What happens next

  • House of Lords: first reading, second reading, committee, report and third reading, where peers can propose amendments.
  • Ping-pong: any Lords amendments would return to the Commons; the timetable motion already allows an hour for them.
  • Royal Assent: the bill becomes law, and the Lord Chancellor arrangement ends, once both Houses agree the same text.

Sources

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