Whitewash claims over bishop cleared of drunkenness

Ed: Blogged here.

The Church of England was accused of a whitewash after a senior bishop was cleared of drunkenness.

The Bishop of Southwark escaped disciplinary action even though a report by a senior judge found "substantial evidence" to indicate he was drunk.

He was said to have been the worse for alcohol in December after he climbed into the back of a stranger's car and threw toys out of it, saying "I'm the Bishop of Southwark. It's what I do."

But after examining all evidence, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has ruled no legal moves should be made against the Right Reverend Tom Butler under Church law.

A key witness to Dr Butler's behaviour revealed he had not been asked to give evidence to the Church inquiry.

The owner of a Mercedes into which the bishop climbed uninvited after attending an Irish embassy party said: "This is a whitewash." Read more