A LEADING Malvern vicar has admitted he was shocked by the failure of a vote to allow women bishops this week.

Rev David Nichol, vicar of Holy Trinity and St James’ Churches and Rural Dean for Malvern, said he had believed the vote would go through “quite easily”.

“I was very surprised when I turned on the radio and heard.

If I had a vote I would certainly have been in favour and I cannot see any reason why it should not happen,” he said.

“All the local discussions in Malvern and the Worcester diocese have been strongly in favour and I understand that was the case in many other parts of the country.”

A General Synod vote on a motion paving the way for the ordination of women bishops was lost on Tuesday night, despite the “overwhelming”

backing of bishops and clergy, after members of the grassroots laity group fell six votes short of the majority needed.

The Bishops of Worcester and Hereford, John Inge and Anthony Priddis, also expressed their disappointment.

Bishop John said “many people will be hurt by this decision”

while Bishop Anthony called the vote “a huge set back”.

He castigated the mechanisms of the Church’s law-making process and criticised some lay members for being “out of touch with the grass-roots of our Church and society.”

One of Worcestershire’s most senior women priests fears people will be driven from the Church as a result of the vote.

Rev Canon Georgina Byrne, Dean of Women’s Ministry, and head of Worcester Diocese’s recruitment and training of clergy, said the push for women bishops was not about “jumping on a politically-correct bandwagon”, but had been rightly driven by people inside the Church.

She said: What saddens me the most is that the Church is missing out on a whole pile of talented and creative, intelligent women ready to be bishops now.

“What also sticks in my throat is having to explain this discrimination to other people.

“None of my female colleagues in the Worcestershire clergy will leave, but I think, quietly, lay people will just leave because of this.”