Cabinet Office introduces bill to remove faith-based restriction on prime minister's church appointments role
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What happened
The UK Cabinet Office presented legislation on 2026-09-15 to repeal statutory provisions that bar a Roman Catholic or Jewish prime minister from exercising the full advisory role to the monarch on Church of England appointments. Under the current arrangement, that function is transferred to the Lord Chancellor when the restriction applies.
Why it matters
The bill changes who can exercise a constitutional function at the centre of government and removes the need for a transfer of authority to the Lord Chancellor in affected cases. It therefore has immediate relevance for constitutional practice, Cabinet Office procedure and any future handling of senior Church of England appointments.
The Cabinet Office introduced the Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill on 2026-09-15. The bill would remove legal restrictions that prevent a Roman Catholic or Jewish prime minister from carrying out the constitutional function of advising the monarch on Church of England appointments, a role that currently has to be transferred to the Lord Chancellor in those cases. For No. 10, the change is not symbolic only: it alters an active machinery-of-government workaround tied to prime ministerial authority and the handling of senior church appointments.
Watch for
UK Parliament bill page publication of the Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill and first reading record by 2026-09-17 Cabinet Office release of explanatory notes setting out repeal scope and commencement provisions by 2026-09-18 Office of the Leader of the House statement on whether second reading time is allocated before 2026-09-19 Church of England / Lambeth Palace acknowledgement of the bill's effect on Crown appointments procedure by 2026-09-19
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