A former senior advisor to Bishops in the House of Lords has said their relationship with Government could be “unfixable” after the two groups have repeatedly clashed over illegal migration.
Communication between the Government and Bishops broke down over the Illegal Migration Bill, when 25 Bishops criticised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s flagship policy to stop migrants in small boats illegally crossing the English Channel.
The former adviser told The House magazine the Bishops’ relationship with Home Office ministers is now “really toxic” and “unfixable”.
The Church of England has also criticised the Conservative party over its Rwanda Policy, which has tried to send illegal migrants coming to the United Kingdom to Rwanda or another “safe” third country.
The former adviser to one Bishop claimed Government ministers prefer to conduct “dialogue” through the media rather than behind closed doors.
They said the meetings that have taken place with the Home Office have left those working for the bishops feel like “lepers”.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has not sat down with Home Secretary Suella Braverman since her appointment.
A spokesperson for Braverman declined to comment.
A spokesperson from Lambeth Palace said: “The Archbishop would be happy to meet the Home Secretary to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. In the past the Archbishop has met other Home Secretaries. It is not unusual.”
Chris Loder, Conservative MP for West Dorset, says that “friction” between the bishops and the government has not been in “such an entrenched manner as we have seen it in the last three or four years”, comparing the bishops’ behaviour to that of “a mini political party”.
“It increasingly feels like the bishops in the House of Lords’ priorities aren’t quite right and that they want to focus more on the platform which the House of Lords has given them to opine on political matters of the day rather than preaching the word of God,” he said.
Loder wrote to Welby in June 2022 requesting a meeting with other Conservative MPs but said he did not get a response. This was disputed by Lambeth Palace who said a response was sent by a member of Welby’s staff.
The Conservative MP claimed Lambeth Palace was “increasingly selective based on public relations reasons”. A spokesperson for Lambeth Palace said they did not recognise Loder’s description.
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