Bishop takes her seat in the House of Lords

The Bishop of Newcastle. the Rt Rev Christine Hardman.

The Bishop of Newcastle, the Right Reverend Christine Hardman, becomes the second female bishop of the Church of England to take her seat in the House of Lords next week.

She will become one of 26 Lords Spiritual, a group which includes the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester, and 21 other Diocesan Bishops.

The bishops’ role is to provide a regional voice in the Lords and to bring a faith-based perspective to the legislative process, rooted in the Christian tradition.

The Bishop of Newcastle will be supported at her Introduction by the Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend John Sentamu, and the Bishop of Southwark (the diocese in which she previously served as Archdeacon), the Right Reverend Christopher Chessun.

During the short ceremony in the House of Lords chamber on Tuesday, she will present her Writ of Summons from the Crown and swear the parliamentary Oath of Allegiance before taking her place on the bishops’ benches.

She said: "Joining the House of Lords is a great privilege and responsibility. God cares about the world as a whole not just about the Church. I look forward to engaging and working with the other bishops and with key partners for all that leads to the flourishing of communities. I will make the most of this opportunity to speak on behalf of those whose voices are not always heard, and particularly alongside the Bishop of Durham to speak up for the North East."

Christine Hardman was Inaugurated as the 12th Bishop of Newcastle last month in St Nicholas Cathedral, Newcastle.