A quarter of people in the UK believe the next Archbishop of Canterbury should avoid speaking on political issues, with new polling showing immigration and asylum are particularly divisive topics for the Church’s most senior bishop.
The survey comes as the Church of England prepares to announce Justin Welby’s successor in the coming weeks, nearly a year after he announced he would resign following criticism over his handling of the John Smyth safeguarding scandal.
Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York has been acting as interim leader during the vacancy. Recently, he entered the debate on immigration, accusing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of offering an “isolationist, short-term kneejerk” response to the small boats crisis. Archbishop Stephen argued that deportations were not a real solution to the “big issues” forcing people to risk the perilous journey.
According to Ipsos polling for the PA news agency, 28 per cent of respondents want the new archbishop to speak less about political issues, while 17 per cent would like them to speak out more. Views on immigration were mixed, as 37 per cent of people said it was acceptable for the Archbishop of Canterbury to comment on asylum and immigration, but 25 per cent said it was not.
One leading candidate is Rt Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, who fled Iran as a teenager during the 1980 revolution. She has previously spoken of her own refugee story and said she carries “a sense of the real trauma that many asylum seekers have experienced.” If appointed, she would become the first woman to hold the role.
Other names suggested include Rt Rev Michael Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells and a former epidemiologist who served on the Church’s Covid taskforce.
The appointment process is overseen by a committee chaired by a former MI5 director-general, with a nomination requiring a two-thirds majority before being passed to the Prime Minister and then formally to the King.
A job description published earlier this year stated the new archbishop must be “unapologetic about offering a Christian perspective to local, national and international dialogue.”
Polling found the public more supportive of the archbishop speaking on issues such as homelessness and poverty (over half in favour), and 40 per cent thought it acceptable to comment on welfare benefits. About a third said the next archbishop should be even more outspoken on charitable causes and social issues than previous office holders.
During his tenure, Rev Welby repeatedly criticised government policies, calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped and condemning the Rwanda asylum scheme as “leading the nation down a damaging path.”
The poll also revealed widespread indifference with the appointment itself. Almost three-quarters said they do not personally care who becomes the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Even among Christians, nearly 62 per cent said they were not especially concerned. Only 18 per cent of respondents said they were following the story closely, with the cost of living crisis and wars in Ukraine and Gaza getting more of their attention.
Ipsos surveyed 1,100 British people online between 12th–15th September, including 505 who identified as Christians.
