Category: Bills

Legislation before Parliament

Crime and Policing Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on tackling prejudice against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill at committee on 17th November 2025, opposing over policing of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and urging the government to tackle discrimination and prejudice against these communities:

My Lords, Manchester’s famous Christmas markets are now in full swing. If you’re visiting my city any time in the next few weeks, until the last few days before Christmas, you are most welcome to patronise them. However, that was not the case for a number of young people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds this time last year. They were turned away by police at the railway station on the supposition that they must have come to commit crime. Children were seen being forced on to trains heading to unknown destinations, separated from family members, and subjected to physical aggression. That included shoving, hair-pulling, and handcuffing. Several individuals reported officers making disparaging remarks about their ethnicity.

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Votes: Employment Rights Bill

On 17th November, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Employment Rights Bill. Votes were held on further amendments to the Bill, in which a Bishop took part:

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Sentencing Bill: Bishop of Gloucester questions lack of long-term planning in bill

On 12th November 2025, the Bishop of Gloucester spoke at the second reading of the Sentencing Bill, expressing concern at the lack of comprehensive long term planning in the legislation:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I declare an interest as Anglican bishop to His Majesty’s prisons in England and Wales. I, too, pay tribute to the late Baroness Newlove, not least in her role as Victims’ Commissioner. I want to echo so much of what the noble Lord, Lord Beith, and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Burnett, have just said, which has lifted my spirits.

There is much to welcome in this Bill. For example, as has been said, we know in general that short custodial sentences do more harm than good, so I am delighted that we are now seeing some evidence-based policy-making rather than policy shaped by media headlines. We also need to clarify our long-term vision and aims. As a Christian, I believe that every human being is made in the image of God and is created to live in interdependent relationship, and broken relationship sits at the heart of all brokenness. Strong relationship sits at the heart of all that is good and transformative. I thank the Minister for his introduction, but I am dismayed that we are setting the context of this Bill as overcrowded prisons and a current crisis. Surely our long-term vision and big picture is not simply about more prisons or even decent prisons, but ultimately about strengthening communities so that people flourish in a network of healthy and safe relationships.

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Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: Bishop of London supports amendments on freedom of religion and modern slavery

During a debate on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on 11th November 2025, the Bishop of London spoke in opposition to two amendments aimed at potentially restricting claims of asylum for reasons of freedom of religion and modern slavery, pointing out the lack of evidence of any abuse of the baptism process by asylum seekers and the need to protect the safety of those under threat from religious discrimination:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I resist Amendment 79D. This amendment and Amendment 79E in the next group are both motivated by reports that asylum seekers are choosing to convert to Christianity upon arrival in the UK in order to support their claim for asylum on the grounds of religious persecution. Amendment 79E is of deep concern. I will address this in the next group.

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Votes: Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

On 11th November, the House of Lords debated the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which bishops took part:

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Border Security, Immigration and Asylum Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford tables amendment on ‘good character’ requirement

On 11th November 2025, the Bishop of Chelmsford The Bishop of Chelmsford tabled her amendment to the Border Security, Immigration and Asylum Bill which would “ensure the good character requirement is not applied contrary to the UK’s international legal obligations across a number of instruments. It also ensures that an assessment of good character may not take into account a person’s irregular entry or arrival to the UK if they were a child, and it may only be taken into account to the extent specified in guidance published and in force at the time of an adult’s irregular entry or arrival.”

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I declare my interests as per the register. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord German, and the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for their support as signatories and for their guidance, especially as this is the first amendment that I have sponsored to a piece of legislation. My thanks go also to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for rightly explaining in my absence in Committee that I have tabled this amendment because I am passionate about the issues it raises: namely, how best to include, not preclude, those with a legal right to be here—those friends, neighbours and colleagues whom we live, work and worship alongside.

The Government’s change to the good character guidance, enacted through secondary legislation with retrospective implementation, in effect makes the “how” of a person’s travel to the UK a determining factor in their character assessment, not the “why” of the reason behind their travel in pursuit of sanctuary. This is a fundamental cultural shift and introduces a factor that bears no correlation to someone’s moral character, their worth and value or the contribution they might make to British society.

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Votes: Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

On 5th November 2025, the House of Lords debated the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part.

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Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on right to work

On 5th November 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in a debate on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, supporting amendments on removing the restrictions on work for asylum seekers:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, as well as Amendment 45 in my name, and that of the noble Lords, Lord Alton of Liverpool and Lord Watson of Invergowrie, I also strongly support the other amendments in this group, to which the noble Lord, Lord German, has just spoken. In fact, I have added my name to two of them.

The current lengthy ban on asylum seekers working wastes talent. Lifting it would let an incredibly talented, resilient group of people—as those are the qualities they needed to even get themselves here—support themselves and their families. It would allow them to rebuild their lives with dignity and independence, at the same time as they would be filling vital UK labour shortages.

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Votes: Planning and Infrastructure Bill

On 3rd November 2025, the House of Lords debated the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

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Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on institutional investment

On 3rd November 2025, The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill focused on institutional investment:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I noted what the noble Lord, Lord Evans, has just said. Unlike my predecessor, I have no intention of trying to petition for parts of the diocese of Chester to become parts of the diocese of Manchester, just because of the urban sprawl extending—but I rise to speak in favour of the amendment proposed by the noble Lord, Lord Fuller.

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