Brown may devolve appointments to Church of England

Ed: This would be better news were it not for the fact that the hierarchy of the Church of England will become an even more self-perpetuating oligarchy. See the Ugley Vicar blog.

[...] The Chancellor of the Exchequer has told senior colleagues that he intends to give the church control over its own senior appointments. At the moment the Prime Minister plays a major role in the appointment of diocesan bishops and has the sole right to nominate deans of most English cathedrals. Mr Brown himself hinted at lifting control of the ecclesiastical appointments in a speech to the Fabian Society last year. Read more