Who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury?

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has this afternoon announced he will resign from the role after days of pressure from Church of England bishops. The move follows the publication of the Makin Review’s report on the Church’s handling of ‘serial child abuser’ John Smyth – which suggested Welby did not deal with complaints rigorously enough at the time. 

In a statement today, the Archbishop wrote of his ‘long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England’, adding:‘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.’ 

So who are the potential contenders to replace Welby in the top job, and how much could stances on gender and sexuality influence the result? 

Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow

Snow became the Bishop of Leicester in 2016 before entering the House of Lords in 2022.