Tony Blair precipitated constitutional crisis by vetoing Church’s nominees
Photo above – Belfast man – The Rt Revd George Cassidy
A little more than a month after taking office, Tony Blair precipitated a miniature constitutional crisis when he vetoed the Church of England’s nominees for the Bishopric of Liverpool. The incident has largely faded from the public consciousness, but thanks to documents inadvertently released by the Cabinet Office, we can see some of the behind-the-scenes drama of this remarkable event. – See web site source at end of this report.
CNI note – One of those on the official short list for the Liverpool appointment was Belfast born and educated, conservative Evangelical George Cassidy who became the C of E Bishop of Southwell in 1999.
See – [[] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Cassidy_(bishop) ]
[[] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7392878.stm ]
Under the Appointment of Bishops Act 1533, the Sovereign formally chooses the archbishops and bishops of the Church of England. Like many of the Crown’s powers, this is now done on the advice of the Prime Minister. Historically, Downing Street often proposed candidates after consulting with senior ecclesiastics, but this was not required. From the 19th century onward, there were repeated calls to give the Church more of a voice in the process. Finally, in 1974, the General Synod resolved that “that the decisive voice in the appointment of diocesan bishops should be that of the Church.”
After discussions between the Church, Downing Street, and the leaders of the main Opposition parties, Prime Minister James Callaghan announced a new process for making episcopal appointments on June 8, 1976. The Church would establish a small standing committee that would become known as the Crown Appointments Commission. It would come up with a shortlist of two names for each vacant see, and the Prime Minister would recommend one of those names to the Queen. But he could choose to forward either of the candidates submitted to him or ask for an entirely new set of names.
Callaghan was very clear that the Prime Minister’s role would not become a formality. “There are, in my view, cogent reasons why the State cannot divest itself from a concern with these appointments of the established Church,” he noted. “The Sovereign must be able to look for advice on a matter of this kind and that must mean, for a constitutional Sovereign, advice from Ministers. The archbishops and some of the bishops sit by right in the House of Lords, and their nomination must therefore remain a matter for the Prime Minister’s concern.”
Callaghan’s successors generally accepted the Crown Appointments Commission’s first choice, though there were exceptions–Margaret Thatcher went with the second name on several occasions. However, Tony Blair appears to have been the first Prime Minister to reject both names and ask for an entirely new slate.
Blair’s involvement in the process began in June 1997. The Crown Appointments Commission had proposed Gavin Reid, Suffragan Bishop of Maidstone in the Diocese of Canterbury, or George Cassidy, Archdeacon of London. In a minute dated June 9, the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary, John Holroyd, summarized the candidates. Reid was described as an “out-and-out evangelical,” whose “public pronouncements occasionally lack judgment.” Cassidy, meanwhile, was said to be “middle of the road” and “a tough but fair administrator—too tough for some.” He was also described as “[e]nergetic with good mind, but some lack of ‘bottom.’” Holroyd noted that Reid had received seven votes in the CAC to Cassidy’s five, which he characterised as “no preference.” Consequently, Blair was entitled to ask for additional names.
More at –
[[] https://venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/tony-blair-and-the-bishopric-of-liverpool/ ]
[[] https://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/tony-blair-and-the-bishopric-of-liverpool/ ]
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