London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 08, 2025

Boris Johnson criticism of archbishop of Canterbury ‘a disgraceful slur’

Boris Johnson criticism of archbishop of Canterbury ‘a disgraceful slur’

Prime minister accused Justin Welby of having ‘misconstrued’ Rwanda asylum policy
Boris Johnson’s criticism of the archbishop of Canterbury over his comments on the UK government’s Rwanda asylum policy is a “disgraceful slur”, a senior Church of England official has said.

The prime minister accused Justin Welby of having “misconstrued” the policy of sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Sources close to Johnson said he accused the senior clergyman of being “less vociferous” in his condemnation of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, than he was in his attack on the asylum policy.

The criticism from Johnson came in a private address to Conservative MPs in parliament after he was forced to apologise repeatedly over the fixed-penalty notice he received for breaching coronavirus laws.

The Church of England’s head of news, John Bingham, said if the reports of Johnson’s behind-closed-doors comment were true it was a “disgraceful slur”.

The archbishop of Canterbury and the archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, publicly condemned Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as an “act of great evil”.

Johnson appeared angry at Welby’s criticism of the government’s plan to send some asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on a one-way trip to Rwanda.

The archbishop raised “serious ethical questions” about the policy in his Easter Sunday address and said it cannot “stand the judgment of God”.

In the sermon, he said “subcontracting out our responsibilities” was “the opposite of the nature of God”.

The archbishop said: “The details are for politics and politicians. The principle must stand the judgment of God, and it cannot.

“And it cannot carry the weight of our national responsibility as a country formed by Christian values; because subcontracting out our responsibilities, even to a country that seeks to do well like Rwanda, is the opposite of the nature of God, who himself took responsibility for our failures.”

Sources said Johnson accused “senior members of the clergy” of having “misconstrued the policy”.

The prime minister was said to have then added that the clergy were “less vociferous” in their condemnation on Easter Sunday of the Russian president than they were of the migration policy.

During his Easter sermon, although he did not mention Putin by name, Welby did call for a “Russian ceasefire, withdrawal and a commitment to talks”. He also called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and spoke of his concern over the cost of living crisis.

The asylum policy has received widespread criticism, with more than 160 charities and campaign groups labelling it as cruel and urging for it to be scrapped.

In the House of Commons on Tuesday, Theresa May, the former prime minister who devised the “hostile environment” policy on migration, said: “I do not support the removal to Rwanda policy on the grounds of legality, practicality and efficacy”.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Brand-New $1 Million Yacht Sinks Just Fifteen Minutes After Maiden Launch in Turkey
Here’s What the FBI Seized in John Bolton Raid — and the Legal Risks He Faces
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
×