23/04/2025
Bishop David will take over the role of supporting and coordinating the work of the 26 bishops in the House of Lords from the Bishop of St Albans, Alan Smith, on his retirement at the end of May. Bishop Alan has served as Convenor since 2022.
Bishop David said: “I am looking forward to serving Parliament and my fellow Lords Spiritual in this role. I have greatly enjoyed the past five years as a bishop in the Lords, working on a variety of issues and areas of importance for our common life, speaking up for those on the margins and informed by the people and communities of Manchester.
“In the Lords I hope to continue with Bishop Alan’s work in encouraging and mentoring new arrivals to the Bench, as well as being a voice for us among the different parties and groupings in the House.
“There are many challenges facing us as a country and I believe that bishops have a vital role to play in working for the common good, as well as fulfilling our spiritual and constitutional role in Parliament.
“Bishop Alan will leave big shoes to fill. He has been an effective and tireless Convenor to the bishops, and a very influential and much-respected Member of the Lords.”
Bishop Alan said: “This has been an eventful period in which to be Convenor, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the role.
“I have made many good friends and colleagues during my years in the Lords and feel privileged to have been able to work alongside others in highlighting so many different causes.
“This work now passes to others and I am happy to hand over to Bishop David who I know will be an excellent Convenor, with all the wisdom and positivity he has already shown in his time on the Bench.
“He and all those serving in our Parliament have my prayers and best wishes for the challenges to come.”
Background
The Convenor of the Lords Spiritual is appointed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. In this period of vacancy, the appointment was made by the Archbishop of York with the Bishop of London.
The Convenor ensures that the work of the bishops in Parliament is coordinated and supported and that the interests of the Bishops' Bench are represented. The Lords Spiritual sit as independent non-aligned members of the House of Lords and, in common with the independent crossbench peers, do not follow a party line or whip. The Convenor is the primary point of contact and liaison on behalf of the Bishops' Bench for the party and group leaderships in the Lords, the Lord Speaker, officials and business managers.
Bishops of the Church of England are summoned to attend Parliament by the Sovereign, a practice that dates back to the earliest Parliaments. The Convenor of the Lords Spiritual is a relatively recent post, dating back to the 1990s. As the established church, the Church of England is accountable to both Houses of Parliament, which must approve legislation passed by its General Synod.
***
Bishop David Walker joined the House of Lords in 2020, during a period when Parliament was sitting remotely and in hybrid due to Covid-19 restrictions. He has a wide range of interests and has been involved in numerous Bills, campaigns and causes, including policing and security, housing, inter-faith and community relations, migration, poverty, the environment and peace and justice in places of conflict overseas.
In the current session he successfully piloted his own private member’s bill on support for care leavers through all its Lords stages. Bishop David Walker has been Bishop of Manchester since 2013. Biographical information can be found on the Diocese of Manchester website.
Bishop Alan Smith was appointed as Convenor in September 2022. In addition to his Convenorship during his time in the Lords he has been a prominent voice on issues of economic and business affairs, rural communities and farming, and political and constitutional reform.
He has also been a leading campaigner for gambling reform (introducing numerous Bills), international religious freedom, human rights, and against expansion of Sunday trading. Bishop Alan was appointed Bishop of St Albans in 2009. He will have served over 15 years as a diocesan bishop, including nearly 12 years as a Lord Spiritual, when his retirement takes effect on 31 May.