The Church of England is on course to give its final approval to female bishops next year after its General Synod voted in favour of new proposals to bring women into the episcopate, raising hopes of an end to the damaging and frequently bitter 20-year standoff between modernisers and traditionalists.

On the third and final day of its meeting in London, the synod voted in favour of the new plans by an overwhelming majority of 378 to eight, with 25 abstentions.

Proposing the new draft legislation, the bishop of Rochester, James Langstaff, recognised that the synod had been given a ‘second bite of the cherry’ but said that it had come a long way since last November, when the last moves to introduce female bishops fell.

He urged the synod to vote ‘as positively as it is able’ for the proposals, adding: ‘People may have quibbles about various words and phrases within this statement of guiding principles, but I would ask you to remember that these are guiding principles, not holy writ nor a creedal statement.

Although the first speech from the floor noted that ‘history makes us naturally cautious about optimists who wave documents that offer peace in our time’ – and a […]