Retiring bishop urges action to tackle child poverty

Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, will formally retire at the end of February

The Bishop of Durham has made a fresh call for politicians in all parties to do more to tackle child poverty in the North East as he prepares to leave the role.

The Right Reverend Paul Butler has used his position in the House of Lords to try and change the law to remove benefit restrictions he calls “cruel”.

His bill to remove the cap that prevents parents claiming tax credits and other benefits for more than two children failed to become law.

The government said the cap was fair and put families claiming benefits on the same footing as those who did not.

It also said that the most vulnerable remained protected.

In an interview to mark his retirement, he said people in his diocese had become poorer and less healthy in the last decade.

Bishop Butler said lifting the two-child cap would be the best way to tackle rising child poverty

Bishop Butler said he was disappointed that Labour had dropped a promise to scrap the cap, if it got into government.

The party has said it could not now afford to lift it, if it got into office.

Bishop Butler said of the cap: “It’s the biggest contributor to the rise in child poverty, that’s clear from all the research.

“I’d urge all political parties to think and look again."

'I spoke up'

He has also rejected accusations that he should not be intervening in politics.

He said: “When I arrived 10 years ago, I was struck by how quickly and strongly local authority chief executives and leaders told me it was really important that I spoke up for the region.

"They told me we don’t have many voices in the House of Lords, so I’ve done that knowing community leaders look to the bishop to play that role.”

'Greatest privilege'

Bishop Butler’s decade in the job has seen attendances at services continue to fall.

However, he said the church remained strong in the community, hosting food banks and parent, carer and toddler groups.

During his time in the role, he oversaw the services to mark both Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and death and was in Westminster Hall as her coffin arrived to lie in state.

He also said it was an "honour" to play a key role in the Coronation of King Charles III, standing alongside the new monarch as he was crowned.

Bishop Butler said his role in the coronation was an "honour and privilege"

“How did this little boy from Surrey end up standing beside the King?" he recalled.

"I had to pinch myself during the service.

“And one of the things that stood out afterwards was the number of people who said to me: 'it felt like we were there because you were there'.”

Bishop Butler's successor is not likely to be appointed until spring 2025

He added: "What I will miss the most is the people and the passion they have for their lives here, however tough it is for some of them."

The Bishop of Jarrow, Sarah Clark, will take over temporary responsibility for the diocese from the start of March, as the search begins for a permanent replacement.