News

Church of England defends role in House of Lords in face of viral online petition

Published

3 years ago

February 18, 2023

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND has defended the work of bishops in the House of Lords following the launch of a petition to remove them from parliament.

They say bishops make “a unique and non-party political contribution in Parliament” and speak “openly, and often forcefully, for those in the margins”.

On Friday, broadcaster and writer Sandi Toksvig, launched a petition to remove the 26 bishops who sit in Parliament as the Lords

Spiritual, arguing the Church’s exemption from equality laws is “discriminatory” for women and the LGBT+ community.

Both the archbishops of Canterbury and York together with other 21 bishops, form the Lords Spiritual.

A Church of England spokesperson told Premier: “The Bishops in the House of Lords make a unique and non-party political contribution in Parliament, rooted in the Church’s role as a Christian presence in every community in England.

“They don’t take a party line, or vote as a bloc; they are not appointed because of political connections and they are the only group in the Lords whose numbers are limited, who have a fixed retirement age and who, because of their own dioceses, effectively represent a specific area of the country.

“This enables them to fulfil a very special role in Parliament – providing a day-to-day ethical and faith perspective on legislation and other business, drawing from their faith and what they see and hear first-hand in parishes and other networks across the country and overseas.

“That enables them to speak openly, and often forcefully, for those on the margins – whether on the impact of the universal credit two-child limit, the treatment of refugees and prisoners, human rights at home and abroad, gambling reform and getting justice for the victims of the cladding scandal, for example.

“Questions about their future role are, and always will be, a matter for Parliament.”

The petition, which has been signed by over 75,000 people – making it one of the top signed petitions on Change.org – reads as follows:

“26 bishops from the Church of England, selected by the church, sit as a matter of right in the House of Lords. No other faiths have this privilege, and nor do the other UK regions.

“These bishops can vote on every law that is passed – even laws that the church doesn’t have to abide by because it has legal exemptions from Equality legislation. The only other country in the world where representatives of the state religion automatically get a seat in the legislature is Iran.

“Whatever goes on inside religious organisations, the Church should not be allowed to hold sway in the Houses of Parliament. It doesn’t matter what your faith is or even isn’t, it’s discriminatory and it has to stop.

“This petition calls for the removal the Church Of England’s privilege to appoint bishops into the House of Lords, and remove existing bishops currently sitting in the House of Lords.”

In a TikTok video, which is currently going viral, Sandi Toksvig explains that there are only two countries on Earth where representatives of the state religion automatically get a seat in the legislature – Iran and the United Kingdom.

To view the petition visit: change.com/bishopsout

Crime

Neighbourhood policing boosted across Dyfed-Powys

Published

8 minutes ago

March 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS POLICE has announced a significant expansion of its Neighbourhood Policing and Prevention Teams (NPPT), with more officers being deployed to frontline roles where demand is greatest.

From Monday (Mar 16), teams across the force area have been strengthened, with a renewed focus on tackling antisocial behaviour and preventing crime at its source.

The force says the move is aimed at reducing repeat demand by addressing the root causes of offending, rather than simply responding to incidents.

To achieve this, a number of officers have been redeployed from central departments back into frontline policing, while new posts are also being created to bolster capacity.

Temporary Chief Superintendent Steve Davies, head of uniform policing, said: “These changes are about increasing frontline visibility and ensuring we have the right resources in the right places.

“They form part of a wider programme of improvements across the force to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, while also supporting the wellbeing of our officers and staff.

“This is positive news for our communities, who will benefit from stronger neighbourhood teams focused on local priorities and proactive policing.”

The expansion has been made possible through Home Office funding under the Neighbourhood Guarantee scheme, which is designed to strengthen community safety and crime prevention.

Dyfed-Powys Police has been allocated £1.4 million for 2025/26, enabling the recruitment of police staff and freeing up officers previously in support roles to return to operational duties.

As a result, four sergeants and 29 police officers have now been reassigned to neighbourhood teams across the force.

Each NPPT area will also have a named officer, with full team details available via the ‘Your Area’ section of the Dyfed-Powys Police website.

The force has also secured early access to 2026/27 Neighbourhood Guarantee funding, which will see a further 12 officers recruited between April and the autumn—adding to overall officer numbers in the region.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said: “Neighbourhood policing is about more than numbers—it’s about relationships.

“Greater visibility helps build trust, strengthens community ties, and reassures the public that policing is present, responsive, and committed to keeping people safe.

“I remain committed to improving police visibility across our communities, and these additional officers will help turn that ambition into reality.”

Crime

Broad Haven man remanded in custody over sexual harm prevention order breach

Published

13 minutes ago

March 20, 2026

Court Reporter

Defendant admitted using Xbox without informing police as required under court order

ANTHONY COOMBES, aged 26, of Sand Banks, Broad Haven, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Mar 20) charged with breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard that between February 26 and March 19, 2026, at Haverfordwest, Coombes repeatedly breached the order by using an Xbox device without informing police within three days, as required.

The offences relate to a sexual harm prevention order imposed at Swansea Crown Court on October 20, 2021.

Coombes indicated guilty pleas to the offences at the first hearing.

Magistrates committed the case to Swansea Crown Court for sentence.

He was remanded in custody ahead of the next hearing, which is due to take place at 9:00am on Friday, April 3, at Swansea Crown Court.

The court refused bail on the grounds that he was likely to offend, citing the nature and seriousness of the offences and his previous record and character.

A pre-sentence report was ordered.