Comments
From: Gordon Brown's Speech on Constitutional Reform
  • adam . # . 1/1
    It's tied into 18th / 19th century Anglo-Irish politics. It was a major source of controversy at the time. The Church of England is still an established church, supported by the taxpayer. That's where the Anglican bishop crossover comes from. Everyone seems a bit embarassed about it now, but at the same time feeling that without the government subsidy all those nice looking churches would stop looking so nice.
    • cam . # .
      I guess it isn't killing them, but wouldn't a Heritage Act suffice for public funding for historical buildings of national significance (including churches) be better and then boot the bishops out of parliament, and dump their appointments on Canterbury.

      Wonder why they haven't done it. Must not be publicly palatable, or more likely, not worth wasting political capital over.
      • adam . # . 1/1
        There is a detailed system of heritage listing but there are also a lot of churches. It's not just the buildings, people do have a vague sense of support for the CoE and the village institutionalism / tradition it represents.
        • cam . # . 1/1
          Politicians in democracies can isolate electoral minorities (for good and bad reasons), I am not surprised that they can't get rid of the CoE subsidy/support because of enough popular support that it is democratically unpopular.
          'Sworn to no party, and of no sect am I.' Frederick Vosper's republican motto.