LONDON: Britain’s left-wing Green Party has said it wants to separate the Church of England from the state if it wins the next general election, due to be held before August 2029.
The Church of England has been the ‘established’ church since the 16th century Reformation, with the British monarch as supreme governor. For traditionalists, this link is not merely ceremonial, but forms the fundamental basis of British identity.
The Greens have come under fire for seeking to remove centuries of British history and tradition by separating the church from British politics, with critics characterizing this as the latest move against Christianity in Britain.
GB News reported last month the Green Party’s policy document stated: “No person shall hold office in the State, or be disqualified from holding such office, on account of the membership or non-membership of his or her spouses in any religion or denomination of any religion.”
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King Charles ascended the throne in September 2022 following the death of his mother, and his coronation took place in May 2023. (Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
High-profile figures have also weighed in on the debate, with actor and comedian John Cleese responding to a comment on the Greens’ proposal by saying of
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The Greens are a growing political force, ranking second behind Reform UK in a recent YouGov poll. Another one YouGov poll linked the Greens’ rising popularity with younger voters in the country, showing a majority of voters aged 18 to 24 supported them, while they also did well among women and other groups.
The leader of the British Green Party, Zack Polanski. (Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
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Green Party leader Zack Polanski has defended a secular state. He has also drawn criticism for his support for legalizing drugs such as heroin and cocaine, his climate policies and his anti-Israel views.
A view of the Christmas morning Eucharist service at Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, United Kingdom, on December 25, 2022. (Stuart Brock/Anadolu Agency)
The timing of the Green Party’s push is particularly sensitive as it follows the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026, passed last month, which removed the last hereditary aristocrats from parliament. With the hereditary principle gone, the presence of the ‘Gentlemen Spiritual’ has become the next logical target for constitutional reformers. There are currently 26 seats reserved for Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England in the House of Lords.
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As Britain heads towards a local election cycle in 2026, the ‘Church and State’ debate appears to be becoming a wedge issue. For the Greens, it represents their commitment to a ‘diverse and inclusive’ Britain. For their opponents, it is a dangerous move that risks ‘de-Christianizing’ the country at a time of great social uncertainty.
Whether the proposal will mobilize a new “religious mood” or simply fade behind the urgency of other issues remains to be seen. What is clear, say commentators, is that the image of the established Church is increasingly being viewed through the lens of a much sharper and more polarized political struggle.
