C of E bishops accused of ‘careerism’ over failure to condemn abuse cover-up

Helen-Ann Hartley, the bishop of Newcastle, said she has been frozen out by fellow bishops after calling for Justin Welby to quit. Photograph: Wilf Doyle/Alamy

A Church of England bishop has accused fellow bishops of “careerism” over their failure to condemn a church cover-up of abuse, claiming they have stayed silent because they want to be the new archbishop of Canterbury.

After the publication of the Makin review last month into the church’s failure to stop the serial abuser John Smyth, the Right Rev Helen-Ann Hartley, the bishop of Newcastle, called for Justin Welby to quit over the scandal days before he did so.