Speeches – The Church of England in Parliament

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Manchester speaks on importance of civil liberties

The Bishop of Manchester spoke during the King’s Speech Debate on foreign affairs, defence, and diplomacy on 21st May 2026, emphasising the need to balance security with civil liberties:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, before turning to the main substance of today’s debate, I briefly say that I warmly welcome the inclusion in the gracious Speech of a promise to tackle so-called conversion practices. These have severely damaged and traumatised many LGBT people over decades, not least when performed in the name of religion. I welcome that promise just as warmly today as I welcomed it from this same Bench on the three or four occasions when it has previously been made. I hope that, this time round, we will actually get to the point of legislating. Indeed, the General Synod of the Church of England overwhelmingly voted to press the Government to do just that several years ago.

Turning to today’s main topics, I want to speak briefly about Britain’s soft power, covert foreign influence and defending liberal democracy. As international threats grow more complex and less overt, Britain’s foreign policy and influence abroad depends less on traditional hard power alone and increasingly on proactive British diplomacy. Noble Lords have already alluded to this but, alongside our formal diplomatic missions, key institutions such the British Council and the World Service extend our cultural influence. Many of our universities, along with our public schools, play a key role in shaping future global leaders. They must be sufficiently supported and resourced to do the job we need them to do.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Southwark highlights cuts to overseas development aid

On 21st May 2026, the Bishop of Southwark spoke during the Kings Speech Debate on foreign affairs, defence and diplomacy, lamenting the recent cuts to overseas development aid:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I endorse what the noble Lord, Lord Callanan, said about the vile harm of increasing antisemitism in our nation. I am glad that widespread condemnation is being matched by solidarity and community action. I also welcome what the Minister said about working for and recognising a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, but ask that urgent attention be given to the threat posed by the E1 developments in the West Bank, which would imperil such a solution.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Chelmsford raises issue of affordable housing

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke in the King’s Speech debate on 20th May 2026 on the topic of housing, urging government action to tackle the crisis in housing affordability:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, as the Church of England’s lead bishop for housing, I commend the measures in the gracious Speech that will improve different parts of our housing system.

The housing affordability crisis threatens to unravel the unwritten social contract: that if you get a decent education and then work hard, you should be able to earn enough to save for a deposit, buy a home, get married, start a family and provide stability for your children until they can do likewise. While these proposed Bills are important and worth while, I urge the Government to use this forthcoming legislation to address the most acute part of the housing crisis: the affordability of homes, whether for rent or for purchase.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Oxford speaks on the risks of artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Oxford spoke on the issue of artificial intelligence during the King’s Speech debate on 19th May 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron. I look forward to the maiden speeches to come.

In the words of the King’s Speech,

“an increasingly dangerous and volatile world threatens the United Kingdom”.

The Government will respond “with strength” and in line with

“the British values of decency, tolerance and respect”.

Not all threats are visible, though all need an intentional response.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Gloucester speaks on criminal justice

The Bishop of Gloucester gave a speech in the King’s Speech debate on 18th May 2026, urging the government to take a long term and nuanced view on prisons and criminal justice:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, it is a great privilege to speak today in response to His Majesty’s gracious Speech. It was a delight and privilege to hear the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Case, and of course, that of my friend, the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. She and I share a commitment to justice, and I refer to my interests stated in the register as Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons.

The gracious Speech set out the Government’s ambition for the UK to be

“a country fair for all and a place where every child is included in the nation’s highest aspirations”.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich makes maiden speech

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich made her maiden speech in the King’s Speech debate on the topic of justice and accountability in the criminal justice system on 18th May 2026:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to make my maiden speech in this House. I begin by expressing my sincere gratitude for the warm welcome I have received from all sides. I thank the officers and staff of this House for their patience, professionalism and kindness in guiding new Members through these early days. As Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, I serve the people of Suffolk, that great east of England county upon which the sun rises first each morning. I aim to join those who live out the particular Suffolk virtue of quiet service: people getting on with the task, often without applause, motivated by a genuine desire to make their communities better places for all.

My academic literary research before ordination took me deep into the works of the great Elizabethan poet, Edmund Spenser, whose Fairie Queene examines some of the private and public virtues needed to uphold the common good and the bonds of society. Whether biblically or classically rooted, virtue is much needed. Leadership in this current age needs to refocus on the common good, the social bonds and contracts that hold individuals together as communities. Of course, I include in that a matter at the heart of our debate today in response to His Majesty’s gracious Speech: justice, with a specific interest in the realities of and responses to miscarriages of justice. I thank my right reverend friend the Bishop of Gloucester, from whom we will hear later in this debate, for her energy, commitment and expertise over the years in urging us to reimagine a better criminal justice system for all. I welcome the Government’s desire to improve the courts and look forward to seeing their proposed legislation in these areas.

Kings Speech Debate: Bishop of Newcastle advocates for greater regional opportunities

The Bishop of Newcastle took part the debate on the King’s Speech on 14th May 2026, advocating for further regional opportunities for the northeast of England:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I am pleased to speak in this debate on the gracious Speech and wish all noble Lords well in this new Session. I declare an interest as president of the Rural Coalition.

It is an honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Burns, particularly with his north-east roots. I speak from the perspective of the region in which my diocese is located, the north-east. These are communities with deep resilience and enormous potential but which continue to live with the consequences of economic inequality, industrial transition and social fragmentation.

There is much that gives cause for confidence. We see innovation emerging from our universities and wider research communities, growing expertise in clean energy, digital technology and advanced manufacturing, and renewed confidence in sectors helping to shape the industries of the future. The North East Space Skills and Technology Centre, based at Northumbria University, is a notable example of combining public funding, university match funding and private sector aerospace investment—a model that is about long-term economic development.

Bishop of Norwich joins tributes to departing Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords

On 13th May 2026, the Bishop of Norwich joined in tributes to the departing Senior Deputy Speaker, Lord Gardiner of Kimble, and in welcoming the new Senior Deputy Speaker, Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, during the first day of the new parliamentary session:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull, to stand on behalf of these Benches in support of the Motion from the noble Baroness the Lord Privy Seal and to congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Ponsonby, on his appointment.

It is also a pleasure to thank, on behalf of these Benches, the former Senior Deputy Speaker, the noble Lord, Lord Gardiner. Newbies have been enormously grateful for the warmth of his welcome to those of us on these Benches and for his gentle guidance when learning the procedures of your Lordships’ House, such as the nod, the smile, and the twinkle in the eyes that have meant to the unsure, “Yes, you’re next”. The noble Lord has been a steady and kindly presence, for which we are most grateful.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Archbishop of Canterbury restates principled opposition to bill

The Archbishop of Canterbury also spoke in the final debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 24th March 2026, reiterating her opposition to the bill and the need for a different approach to scrutiny and debate should the bill return to the House:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I shall briefly make some reflections. It is a great privilege to follow my friend, the noble Baroness, Lady Rafferty; I thank her for her contribution. I recognise the enormous amount of work that has gone into this Committee stage. I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, for meeting me; I thank him for the time that he has given me.

Noble Lords will know that I oppose the Bill in principle, both as a priest and as a nurse, but it is clear that some things unify us. Whether we support the Bill or oppose it, we are unified by the fact that we want people to die in a dignified, pain-free and compassionate way, with the least possible fear. I also believe that we are unified in the belief that there needs to be investment in palliative care now. I welcome the new modern framework for palliative care that the Government have introduced, but recognise that financial investment still needs to occur.

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