A modern constitution? Actually, Henry VIII still rules
The Government’s Green Paper The Governance of Britain which was launched this week presents itself as some kind of radical rethink of the nature of British democracy. But as far as the establishment of the Church of England is concerned, it’s no change. Henry the VIII still rules.
The Green Paper declares: “The Government reaffirms its commitment to the position of the Church of England by law established, with the Sovereign as its Supreme Governor, and the relationship between the Church and State. The Government greatly values the role played by the Church in national life in a range of spheres.” This is a hardening of a previous line from the Government that it would embark on disestablishment if the CofE requested it.
Given that less than 2% of the population now attends a Church of England service on an average Sunday, it is difficult to know what purpose it serves “in the national life”. Admittedly it has a third of the education system under its control – but that’s mainly in order to evangelise among children who cannot be coerced into its churches (read related article). It provides weddings and funerals – although even those functions are being gradually usurped by secular alternatives. It also drains hundreds of millions of pounds from the exchequer for its activities – which include chaplains that hardly anyone wants in hospitals, and in prisons and the armed forces. The CofE is the principle beneficiary of the VAT relief given uniquely to repairs to listed places of worship – something that secular buildings of equal importance to our heritage and equal architectural value are denied. Vicars get unique tax perks, too. All the money collected from worshippers is “gift-aided” – meaning that the taxpayer gets to contribute, too. And now we have the Government aggressively recruiting “faith groups” to run our public services.
In the meantime, the religious makeup of this country is changing rapidly: mainly in the sense that the numbers of those who don’t have the slightest interest in it, or at least aren’t practising, are expanding rapidly and are probably in the majority by now.
At the same time, Islam is becoming more assertive and demanding. The Catholics are making angry noises about the Green Paper’s refusal to repeal the Act of Settlement, which forbids a Catholic to become monarch – or even marry the existing Anglican monarch. There are countless other religions and sects in this country that will eventually ask why they don’t have representatives in parliament. No doubt if they ask for them, Mr Brown will listen with sympathy.
The Government, in the meantime, intends to give up the right of the Prime Minister to choose bishops (from a list of two), but allows the bishops to continue their unjustifiable privileges in the House of Lords.
Britain is the only country left in the democratic world that allows clerics to sit in its legislature as of right and Mr Brown and his cronies seem quite happy with that.
This Green Paper shows that in this country of atheists, religious privilege is being buttressed.
How has this anomaly arisen? How have we lost our religion but found ourselves in thrall to religious leaders? Read this well-regarded paper by the National Secular Society for some insights
A version of this article appears in today’s Guardian Comment is Free blog – so there is still time for you join the debate