Justin Welby’s place in the House of Lords is ‘untenable’ | United Kingdom

Justin Welby faces calls to quit the House of Lords (Image: GB News/GETTY)

Justin Welby must be stripped of his right to sit in the House of Lords following his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury, Deputy Reform Party leader Richard Tice has said.

And the MP for Boston and Skegness also revealed he himself attended a summer camp run by John Smyth QC, which Mr Welby failed to report about the abuse of children in his care, an oversight which yesterday forced him to resign as head of the Church of England.

Mr Welby, who is also the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, resigned after an investigation into his handling of the allegations. Mr Welby admitted failing to promptly report Smyth’s abuse to authorities when he first became aware of it in 2013.

Speaking on GB News, Mr Tice said: “Obviously Justin Welby has now resigned and he has issued a statement there.

“But I think he was a terrible Archbishop of Canterbury. I think it’s the worst in living memory, so for several reasons.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ‘respects’ archbishop’s decision (Image: Getty)

“But you know, this saga and these allegations are truly horrific.”

Mr. Tice also turned out to be at one of Smith’s camps in the late 1970s.

He explained: “Mum always wanted to put me up during the summer holidays. That’s why I was on the record attendance list, as it turns out. And I was certainly there one summer, maybe two – it was 50 years ago, so the memories are a bit.

“But I consider myself very lucky. I didn’t have any bad experiences or inappropriate experiences, but I was at that camp with John Smyth who ran it.

Richard Tice speaks out on Justin Welby’s resignation

Mr Tice – who also spoke on the subject on Talk TV – admitted that since the allegations surfaced he had received a phone call asking if he had been affected.

He said: “I consider myself very lucky in a way. No, no, I wasn’t. Those places, they were extensions of boarding schools, and things were very different in those days.

“Many of us have been governors. We know that protection is the number one issue. But this seems like a good time to think, “Crikey, I was there.”

“But Justin Welby has rightly resigned and there are serious questions about whether or not he can remain in the House of Lords. Frankly, I don’t think he can do it. I think his position is untenable. I suspect people left for less.

“And he also has other questions to answer – these are allegations. But obviously he has questions. what did he know and when, in the 1980s?

Acknowledging this failure in a resignation statement released yesterday, Welby said: “It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and traumatic period between 2013 and 2024.

“I believe that stepping down is in the best interests of the Anglican Church, which I love dearly and have been honored to serve.”

Welby’s resignation marks an important moment for the Anglican Communion, which has more than 85 million members worldwide.

The independent Makin Review, a 251-page report, concluded that Smyth abused around 115 boys and young men in the UK and Africa from the 1970s until his death in 2018.

The investigation found Welby was informed of the abuse in 2013 but, due to a miscommunication, did not ensure the allegations were actually reported. If Welby had acted, the abuse could have stopped sooner, sparing other victims.

The scandal intensified when Welby’s unwillingness to accept full responsibility sparked outrage, with victims and clergy putting pressure on him to resign.

Speaking after the announcement, a Number 10 spokeswoman said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “respects the decision” of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Asked if the Prime Minister had tried to get Justin Welby to reconsider his position after Sir Keir made it clear that John Smyth’s victims had been let down, she replied: “No. We are clear, it t’s a question for the Church of England and the archbishop.

As Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby sits in the House of Lords (Image: Getty)

“I believe that stepping down is in the best interests of the Anglican Church, which I love dearly and have been honored to serve.”

Welby’s resignation marks an important moment for the Anglican Communion, which has more than 85 million members worldwide.

The independent Makin Review, a 251-page report, concluded that Smyth abused around 115 boys and young men in the UK and Africa from the 1970s until his death in 2018.

The scandal intensified when Welby’s unwillingness to accept full responsibility sparked outrage, with victims and clergy putting pressure on him to resign.

Speaking after the announcement, a Number 10 spokeswoman said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “respects the decision” of the Archbishop of Canterbury.