Carol Ann Duffy Responds to Bishops' Vote

From the London Evening Standard:

Is there to be schism between the Church of England and the Poet Laureate? Carol Ann Duffy was giving a recital at Southwark Cathedral last night, just hours after the bid to allow women to be bishops fell at the final hurdle, and she made her displeasure felt.

“She was clearly riled,” said one audience member. “She said to us, ‘I arrived here to experience consternation and disbelief’.”

Duffy then announced that she would start the evening by reading “some feminist poetry”, an announcement that was greeted by spontaneous and enthusiastic clapping by the poetry congregation.

Duffy went on to suggest that she would be turning her Laureate’s quill to the matter of women bishops, warning: “Watch this space.” An unidentified bishop in purple robes skulked around the cathedral.

Yesterday afternoon the General Synod voted on the issue of women bishops but failed to reach the requisite two-thirds majority in all its houses, meaning Commons Chaplain Rose Hudson-Wilkin was thwarted in her attempt to become the first female bishop.

Full article here.