Speaking after the House of Lords vote on the Sexual Orientation Regulations, Jonathan Bartley, co-director of the thinktank Ekklesia said; "Many Christians, including some evangelicals, supported the Sexual Orientation Regulations, and it is quite clear that by no means all bishops were opposed to them.
"But at a time when their unelected place in the House of Lords is in question, particularly after the Common's vote for a completely elected Second Chamber, it was unlikely that bishops would turn up in significant numbers. If they did, and it had a significant bearing on the outcome, it would have undoubtedly increased calls for their removal from the House of Lords.
"The whole episode however raises even more questions about the role and legitimacy of 26, all male, unelected, bishops from just one religious grouping, sitting in the middle of a Parliamentary democracy."
Although the views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Ekklesia, the article may reflect Ekklesia's values. If you use Ekklesia's news briefings please consider making a donation to sponsor Ekklesia's work here.