Is this simply correcting an historic wrong, or should Church of England appointments stay within the Church?

As Andy Burnham prepares to address Labour conference as Prime Minister, his government is introducing legislation to remove a historic restriction on Catholics advising the King on Church appointments. The restriction dates to 1829, meaning Burnham currently cannot perform that part of the PM’s constitutional role. Esther spoke to former Anglican, now Catholic commentator Gavin Ashenden.

Released on 29 Sep 2026