THE FORMER Archbishop of York John Sentamu will be given a life peerage “imminently”, it has been reported.
The news comes after the government was accused of institutional prejudice for not automatically bestowing the honour on him as was the case for his predecessor.
Sentamu, 71, stepped down from his role on 7 June and it was expected that he would then be awarded a life peerage. However, Britain’s first black Archbishop was not included in the list of 36 individuals to be appointed to the House of Lords.
The failure to automatically announce Sentamu as a peer has prompted accusations of institutional prejudice. Lord Hope, Sentamu’s predecessor and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams were both made life peers when they stepped down from their respective roles.
Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: “No.10 broke precedent and snubbed Britain’s first black archbishop for a peerage because it says the House of Lords is too large, but it made room for Ian Botham, Claire Fox and Theresa May’s husband. Blatant institutional prejudice.”
Lord Woolley, founder of Operation Black Vote, told The Sunday Times: “John Sentamu is a hero and a role model not just to black Britain but to Great Britain. The fact that he has not been afforded a peerage is nothing short of scandalous. Given the deluge of peerages to friends and family, of which not one was black, I sincerely hope this is an oversight that will be rapidly corrected.”
The Sunday Times reported that Sentamu received a phone call on July 31 informing him that he had missed out on this round of prime minister Boris Johnson’s appointments and would have to wait until the next round.
Since the outrage over what has been described as “an extraordinary snub”, it is now being reported that Downing Street will be announcing that Sentamu will be made a life peer.
Responding to the reports, Lammy tweeted: “Looks like @BorisJohnson has capitulated. Archbishop John Sentamu (unlike his predecessors) had been told like so many black people before him that “there was no room in the inn.” Now after public pressure they are going to make room. Thank you peeps.”
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With the Anglican Church lack of senior Clergy of African and Caribbean heritage in the 1980s when racism was raw and cities were burning, the Anglican Church quickly over-promoted the Revd John Sentamu to high clerical office as the Archbishop of York.
Yet the Arch bishop of York most audacious public act was to publicly cut his clerical collar on the Andrew Marr show to demonstrate his opposition to a fellow African, the President of Zimbabwe, Mr Robert Mugabe to the delight of England’s Liberal; labour & Conservative public postholders.
With African-heritage people such as the Ugandan-heritage John Sentamu in public office, there is no need to ask why injustice endured daily by Her Majesty’s Subjects of African-heritage are not addressed by the establishment friendly and comedic former Archbishop of York.