Bishops in the House of Lords

This section introduces the bishops who sit in the House of Lords. For more details on each bishop please click on their name in the right hand column.

Bishops in the House of Lords

26 Bishops of the Church of England sit in the House of Lords. Known as the ‘Lords Spiritual’, they read prayers at the start of each daily meeting and play a full and active role in the life and work of the Upper House.

Bishops' in the House of Lords: FAQs

History

Which bishops become Lords Spiritual?

What do they do in Parliament?

Who do they represent in Parliament?

History

Christian religious leaders have had an active role in the legislative affairs of the country since before the formation of the Church of England.  Prior to the 11th century feudal landlords and religious leaders were regularly consulted by Saxon kings. In the 14th century, religious leaders and landed gentry formed the ‘Upper House’ (the Lords) as, respectively, the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. Local representatives formed the ‘Lower House’ (the Commons). Apart from a brief interruption following the English Civil war, religious leaders have played an active role in parliament ever since. The continuing place of Anglican bishops in the Lords reflects both this historic fact and our enduring constitutional arrangement, with an ‘established’ Church of England and its Supreme Governor as Monarch and Head of State.  The Bishopric of Manchester Act of 1847 limited the number of places for Lords Spiritual. It is currently fixed at 26 and, in an Upper House of 742 members, the Lords Spiritual now constitute 3.5% of its membership.

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Which bishops become Lords Spiritual?

The archbishops of Canterbury and York and the bishops of Durham, London and Winchester are by tradition always members of the House of Lords. The remaining 21 places on the Bishops’ Bench are not fixed, but are occupied by those English diocesan bishops that have served the longest.

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What do they do in Parliament?

There is always a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords when it is sitting.  The reading of prayers in the House is determined on a weekly rota basis and Lords Spiritual will also attend the House for debates and votes when matters of interest and concern are before it. (See links on this page to individual Lords Spiritual for more details) When bishops retire from their see (compulsory at 70), their membership of the House also ceases. Some have then become life peers and it is traditional for archbishops to become so. 

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Who do they represent in Parliament?

There is no ‘Bishops’ Party’ and as non-aligned members, their activities in the Upper House are not subject to a whip. Like all other members of the Lords, they do not represent a constituency, although their work is often closely informed by their diocesan role. They sit as individual Lords Spiritual, and as such they have much in common with the Crossbenchers and independent peers, who are not party-affiliated. Their presence in the Lords is an extension of their general vocation as bishops to preach God's word and to lead people in prayer. Bishops provide an important independent voice and spiritual insight to the work of the Upper House and are a voice for all people of faith, not just Christians.

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When parliament is sitting Premier Christian Radio conducts regular interviews with the Lords Spiritual about their work in the House of Lords. You can listen to recent and archived interviews online on the Premier website,

To view live and on demand video coverage of the UK's national political institutions and the European Parliament. Alongside the video, there are guides available about how the different institutions work and who sits in them courtesy of the BBC.

For more information about the UK Parliament and the House of Lords please visit the UK Parliament web site,

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The work of the Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords is supported by the Church of England Parliamentary Unit.

The Parliamentary Unit is staffed by:

Richard Chapman, Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs

Simon Stanley, Deputy Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs