Women-bishops legislation falls

THE draft Measure for the consecration of women bishops failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority in all three houses of the General Synod, when the vote for final approval was taken after a protracted debate on Tuesday just after 6.15 p.m.

Although it was carried in the House of Bishop by 44 to 3, with two abstentions, and in the Clergy by 148 to 45, with no abstentions, it was lost in the House of Laity where it achieved only 132 votes against 74, with no abstentions. 

This result was despite strong pleas from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his designated successor, the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Justin Welby, for waverers to abstain rather than vote against.

The House of Bishops will meet first thing on Wednesday morning "to consider a way forward", the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, said afterwards.

Speaking after the vote, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James, spoke of "an urgent task to find a fresh way forward to which so many of those who were opposed have pledged themselves."