THE Bishop of Salisbury has spoken out about the decision of the General Synod to not allow women to be ordained as bishops.

Bishop Nicholas Holtam has called the decision “unrepresentative” and expressed his regret that the views of the majority of the clergy did not alter the outcome.

He said: “Although the proposal gained the necessary two-thirds majority among bishops and clergy it was lost in the House of Laity.

“This prevents for now what the Church of England has said in 42 of its 44 Diocesan Synods with 75 per cent in favour.

"We should now expect a good deal of prayer and thought to try to find what God is saying to us today.

“There will also be a searching analysis of the unrepresentative decision of General Synod.”