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  • John Sentamu denied peerage
  • inkster
    Free Member

    Headline from today’s Guardian:

    “John Sentamu peerage snub criticised as ‘institutional prejudice’
    Britain’s first black archbishop has not been given Lords seat though his predecessor was.”

    Regardless of what you might think about the House of Lords of the Church of England, I find this a pretty disgusting provocation.

    Apparently the Government says it’s because there is not enough room in the Upper House, though room was found for the PM’s brother Jo, Brexit MP Claire Fox, Ian ‘Brexit’ Botham and 33 others, none of them black. John Sentamu is a hugely impressive individual whose credentials and contributions to British Society far outstrip any of the 36 Candidates selected. A clear message from our Government.

    I think what the Govt meant to say is their is not enough room for any more Black people in the House of Lords.

    This on a day in which the Police have changed their mind about releasing bodycam footage which they hoped would help exonerate them from accusations of racist and aggressive stop and search policing. Apparently, after viewing lots of footage Chief Constables have realised that the footage is littered with examples of rude and aggressive policing, lack of patience and failure to engage with de-escalation.

    A quick Google search revealed this headline from the Telegraph archives:

    “Arch Bishop John Sentamu stopped and searched eight times”

    Oh the irony.

    footflaps
    Full Member

    I think what the Govt meant to say is their is not enough room for any more Black people in the House of Lords.

    +1

    Or possibly they don’t want any more liberals…

    Northwind
    Full Member

    The “no room” excuse is absolutely pathetic “Oh sorry, there’s no room on this lifeboat because I’ve already completely filled it with my suitcases!”. Just totally brazen and shameless.

    I’m no fan of the church and I absolutely hate that some faiths get seats in the House of Lords but I’d say he’s earned a place by any standards, let alone by today’s.

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    onewheelgood
    Full Member

    I have no religion, I don’t much like religion. But choosing Claire Fox over John Sentamu is quite a statement by the government about where their priorities lie. Choose white over black, hate over love, division over reconciliation. What a nasty lot they are.

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    Disgraceful.

    Coyote
    Free Member

    I have no time for religion or the House of “Lords” but I agree that this does demonstrate prejudice, hypocrisy and cronyism at the highest level.

    Bruce
    Full Member

    Wot onewheel good said

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Wot onewheel good said

    ^Yes.

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    I always thought there was a specific number of places for Bishops in the House of Lords. Sorry to spoil everyone’s fun.

    inkster
    Free Member

    No fan of religion or the House of Lords either but If we have to have an upper house it would be nice if it was populated by persons with a record of showing wisdom and judgement and John Sentamu is certainly a person ‘blessed’ (pun intended) with those attributes.

    Before he came to the UK he was a judge in Uganda and has confessed (pun intended again) to having sent a lot of liberal people to prison because he recognised that they were safer locked up, if they remained free they were highly likely to be murdered by shady state operatives and vigilantes. The absolute definition of getting it right rather than being right.

    The judgement of Solomon comes to mind.

    white101
    Full Member

    I’ve just had a quick Wiki on this Claire Fox, joined a party in 2019 became an MEP same year and then the house of lords within 18months. All this after what appears to be years of teaching at colleges and some time as a MH worker. There are probably a fair few other folk who did the teaching and healthcare stuff but didn’t try the Brexit Party pivot to get themselves over the ermine line.

    You can imagine the tories filling it with enough mates over the next year or two for them to suddenly have (yet another) U turn on sacking the HOL off, once they tip the balance and get themselves enough cronies it will suddenly be there for ever more and lauded as a bastion of democracy etc etc

    onewheelgood
    Full Member

    I always thought there was a specific number of places for Bishops in the House of Lords. Sorry to spoil everyone’s fun.

    There are, but that is not what we are talking about. Sorry to spoil your attempt to spoil our fun.

    perchypanther
    Free Member

    Is it not because there’s an Act of Parliament giving priority to any eligible lady Bish?

    It’s not racism. It’s winkyism.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lords_Spiritual_(Women)_Act_2015

    Ewan
    Free Member

    Disgraceful and racist. Shame on this government.

    onewheelgood
    Full Member

    @Perchypanther, this is about giving a peerage to a retired Archbishop, not about the Lords Spiritual who are drawn from currently serving bishops. Once they retire as a bishop, they lose the HoL seat that they had as one of the Lords Spiritual.

    inkster
    Free Member

    You’re not spoiling anyone’s fun BigJohn, the number of bishops serving in the House of Lords is limited to 26 but that does not include those bishops who sit by right of Peerage.

    It was widely expected that John Sentamu would assume his place by right of Peerage in accordance with protocol.

    By breaking protocol the Government sends out a clear message, a bit like Boris tweeting out to his Pretorian guard of racist football hooligans to come and protect the statue of Winston Churchill 10 times on the day of the BLM march in London.

    My favourite Winston Churchill quote:

    “There is what you say and what is said”

    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    Certainly smacks of racism, but I suspect that they are as worried by his high profile, respected and liberal world view, and the attention that his criticism of this government will get as they are of his of the colour of his skin.

    Riksbar
    Full Member

    Claire Fox, joined a party in 2019 became an MEP same year and then the house of lords within 18months. All this after what appears to be years of teaching at colleges and some time as a MH worker. There are probably a fair few other folk who did the teaching and healthcare stuff but didn’t try the Brexit Party pivot to get themselves over the ermine line.

    There are also lots who weren’t in the Revolutionary Communist Party, before pivoting to ultra libertarian “free speech” advocates and BBC Question Time fodder, alongside defending the rights of people to access pictures of child abuse and defending the IRA Brighton (irony is strong here) and Warrington bombers. An unpleasant individual.

    PrinceJohn
    Full Member

    Shame he’s not the son of a KGB agent. Then he’d be a nailed on to get in.

    Richie_B
    Full Member

    Certainly smacks of racism, but I suspect that they are as worried by his high profile, respected and liberal world view, and the attention that his criticism of this government will get as they are of his of the colour of his skin.

    This but its still pathetic and petty.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    This is a govt that is passing a law to make it legal for it to commit crimes like murder, so I’m not going to be surprised by what’s next.

    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    BBC suggesting it’s going to be sorted – but whyTF does the government need the blindingly obvious pointing out every bloody time?

    Ewan
    Free Member

    BBC suggesting it’s going to be sorted – but whyTF does the government need the blindingly obvious pointing out every bloody time?

    Because they’re out of touch, incompetent, and racist?

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    Yeah, but did he ever win The Ashes? Eh?

    No he didn’t.

    Jog on.

    grum
    Free Member

    I have a horrible feeling that this is another deliberate Trumpist culture war trolling of liberals/pandering to racists.

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    I thought he won the sackcloth and ashes.

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