Church anger at longer Sunday shopping hours

Telegraph

Church leaders have expressed their anger at the government for denying them a say over new Sunday trading laws, in a major clash between ministers and bishops.

Senior aides to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, protested to ministers that the Church was not properly consulted before George Osborne announced plans to allow shops to open for longer on Sundays.

The Church of England now fears the government will attempt this week to sneak the new law through Parliament without it being scrutinised properly by the Anglican bishops who sit in the House of Lords.

But one senior government adviser privately dismissed the concerns of the Church, saying: “We don’t give a s*** about the bishops.”

The row comes as ministers face a major backlash over Sunday trading laws from within the Conservative Party. At least 20 Tory MPs are expected to join with Labour this week to vote against the measures to extend Sunday opening hours. The Telegraph disclosed on Saturday that Greg Clark, the Communities Secretary, will try to head off the rebellion at a private meeting with MPs on Monday.

The government’s plan would allow local councils to ease restrictions on large retailers opening on Sundays. At present only the smallest shops can open for longer than six hours.

The government had indicated that it would introduce the new power for councils to extend Sunday opening for larger stores in their areas in the Enterprise Bill, which has just been introduced to Parliament.

However, Westminster sources have disclosed that the new law is now expected to be contained in an amendment to the Cities Bill, which has already completed its progress through the House of Lords and will be debated in the Commons on Wednesday.

Such a move would mean that the Church of England’s 26 most senior bishops who sit in the Lords, including the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Bishop of London, will not be able to debate the plan in detail.

The government had indicated that it would introduce the new power for councils to extend Sunday opening for larger stores in their areas in the Enterprise Bill, which has just been introduced to Parliament.

However, Westminster sources have disclosed that the new law is now expected to be contained in an amendment to the Cities Bill, which has already completed its progress through the House of Lords and will be debated in the Commons on Wednesday.

Such a move would mean that the Church of England’s 26 most senior bishops who sit in the Lords, including the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Bishop of London, will not be able to debate the plan in detail.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consumer-news/11938454/Church-anger-at-longer-Sunday-shopping-hours.html