Prelates as part time Parliamentarians: The attendance and participation of the Lords Spiritual in the contemporary House of Lords
As full time Church of England diocesan Bishops, the Lords Spiritual are necessarily very much part time Parliamentarians. This presents them with challenges in terms of maintaining a presence, and demonstrating its legitimacy, in an increasingly 'professionalised' House of Lords. This article draws on original interviews to explore the factors which shape the Bishops' attendance and participation in the House of Lords. It suggests that although long standing constraints on their attendance have persisted and indeed increased in recent decades, they have nonetheless found ways to maintain and increase their Parliamentary activity in the light of changes in the Church, Parliament and society.