Andy Burnham is removing a Victorian-era law that singled out Catholics and Jews. Why now?
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is moving to repeal a 19th-century law that prevents Catholics and Jews from advising the monarch on Anglican church appointments. The legislation is being updated to remove discriminatory barriers that have historically affected political leaders of these faiths.
Why it matters
This highlights the intersection of religious tradition and modern governance in the UK, addressing long-standing constitutional inequalities.
There is no separation of church and state in Britain. The Church of England, part of the Anglican Protestant faith, is the state church, answerable to parliament.
One of the constitutional functions of a British prime minister is to advise the monarch – who is also head of the Church of England – on the appointment of Anglican bishops and archbishops. Yet Catholics and Jews are explicitly barred from doing so.
Burnham is the first British prime minister to profess the Catholic faith upon entering office. Under existing British law, if as a professed Catholic he followed his predecessors and advised the British king Charles on the appointment of a bishop, he would be automatically disbarred from all civil and military office.
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