Bill to remove Isle of Man bishop’s vote progresses

A bill to remove the voting powers of the bishop in the Isle of Man's parliament has made progress.

The Constitution Bill 2023 was debated in Tynwald (the island's parliament) today at its clauses stage. It would remove the vote of the Church of England bishop of Sodor and Man, who sits by right in the Legislative Council, the upper house of Tynwald.

The arrangement echoes that in Westminster, where 26 CofE bishops sit as of right in the House of Lords.

The clause to remove the bishop's vote passed 14-10.

The National Secular Society has supported the Constitution Bill since its introduction. Ahead of today's debate, the NSS contacted all members of the House of Keys (MHKs) urging them to progress the bill through the clauses stage.

MHK: Bill means "our democracy will be representative of the people we are all here to serve"

The private member's bill was introduced last year by Lawrie Hooper, a member of Tynwald's lower house, the House of Keys.

Hooper said the bill would mean the Isle of Man's democracy "will be representative of the people we are all here to serve".

He referred to a consultation held earlier this year which found most Isle of Man residents support removing the bishop's vote. The majority also support ending the practice of holding prayers before sittings in Tynwald, which are led by the bishop.

Hooper also highlighted how the bishop's vote weakens the votes of back benchers and the House of Keys when set against the Legislative Council.

Chris Thomas MHK, who opposes the bill, attempted to introduce a clause which would stall its implementation by forcing the Governor in Council to consult the Church of England before approving the bill. But the motion to carry the clause failed.

The bill will now progress to its third reading.

NSS: "an encouraging step forward for the Isle of Man today."

The National Secular Society welcomed the bill's progress.

NSS spokesperson Alejandro Sanchez said: "This is an encouraging step forward for the Isle of Man today.

"A privileged position for one denomination of one faith is divisive, unrepresentative and an anomaly in 21^st century democracy. Removing the bishops' vote would go a long way towards ridding Tynwald of this anachronistic privilege.

"We call on Tynwald to support this bill as it goes to its third reading. And we call on Westminster to pay close attention to what is happening on the Isle of Man, and what it should mean for the 26 Church of England bishops still given seats as of right in the House of Lords."