Sir Keir Starmer “respects” Justin Welby’s decision to quit as Archbishop of Canterbury over the Church of England’s “failed” handling of John Smyth’s prolific sex abuse scandal, a No10 spokeswoman has said.
The Prime Minister, who refused to offer his support to Welby yesterday, today described Smyth’s sex abuse scandal as “horrific”.
Speaking at Cop29 in Baku, Starmer added: “My thoughts, as they are in all of these issues, are with the victims here who have obviously been failed very, very badly.”
Despite yet again pointing out it was a “matter, in the end, for the church”, the Prime Minister’s spokeswoman has since revealed Starmer’s full position on Welby’s resignation.
Sir Keir Starmer with an inset of Justin Welby
GETTY/PA
She said: “The Prime Minister respects the decision that’s been taken.”
Asked whether Starmer had tried to get Welby to reconsider his position, the spokeswoman added: “No. We’re clear it’s a matter for the Church of England and the archbishop.
“I’d point you to the archbishop’s own statement. He refers to taking personal and institutional responsibility.
“As I say, the Prime Minister respects that decision and his thoughts, first and foremost, remain with all the victims.”
The Prime Minister is not believed to have spoken to Welby before he announced his resignation.
Welby, 68, tendered his resignation earlier today just hours after the Bishop of Newcastle became the first high profile member of the Church of England to urge him to quit.
A petition started by three members of the General Synod calling for Welby to quit had also reached more than 10,000 signatures.
In his resignation statement, Welby said: “The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England.”
He added: “Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury. The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.
“When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow. It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
“It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.
“I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.”
Responding to Welby’s resignation, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said it was “the right and honourable thing to do”, adding: ” Justin has decided to take his share of responsibility for the failures identified by the Makin review.”
Lambeth Palace was embroiled in a scandal after the Makin review looked into the Church of England’s role in Smyth’s sex abuse subjected as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa to traumatic attacks over five decades.
Smyth died at the age of 75 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police and was never brought to justice for the abuse.
Despite previously claiming he had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse”, the Makin review claimed that Smyth “could and should have been formally reported to the police in the UK, and to authorities in South Africa (church authorities and potentially the police) by church officers, including a diocesan bishop and Justin Welby in 2013.”