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What's happening in Bury St. Edmunds?
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I've got to choose a bishop.
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That's ridiculous.
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Why?
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Well you're not exactly religious, are you darling?
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Well, I'm Prime Minister. Religion has nothing to do with it.
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Nothing to do with bishops?
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Not really. They're just managers in fancy dress.
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The Church of England has over 172,000 acres of lands...
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thousands of tenants, leaseholds, property and investments
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worth a total of 1.6 billion pounds.
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So the ideal bishop is a corporate executive.
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A merchant banker, personnel manager and estate agent.
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As a churchgoer, I'd prefer you to choose a man of God.
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They offered me one of those.
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But he wants to turn the Church of England into a religious movement.
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The once they are trying to force on me is a modernist.
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You mean a Marxist or an atheist?
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Both.
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It doesn't matter about the atheist bit apparently.
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But being a Marxist could cause me a lot of trouble when he stands up and starts to makes speeches
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in the House of Lords
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Can't you turn him down?
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It would look political.
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But haven't you been explaining that the Church is political.
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Yes, but it musn't look it.
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I see.
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Well, why don't you turn him down on religious grounds?
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How do you mean?
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Well, does he believe in heaven and hell?
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No, of course not.
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The Virgin Birth?
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No.
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The Resurrection?
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No, nothing like that.
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Isn't that enough to be going on with?
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You're brilliant! I reject both candidates
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and force them to submit another
