Church of England names Rev Libby Lane first women bishop

The Church of England has announced that Reverend Libby Lane will become first female bishop in the UK, just one month after the General Synod's historic vote .

Lane will become the Bishop of Stockport, taking up the post left vacant by the Right Reverend Robert Attwell earlier this year. She is currently the Vicar of St Peter's Hale and St Elizabeth's Ashley in the Diocese of Chester.

New legislation to fast-track women bishops into the House of Lords is also to be introduced in parliament this week. The new laws will mean the first female bishops will enter the upper chamber before next year's general election.

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Lane, however, will not be able to take a seat in the House of Lords as the post is a junior or suffragan appointment within the Diocese of Chester, reports the BBC.

The controversial issue of female bishops has dominated religious debate in recent years. The move will alter the leadership profile of the Church of England and marks a milestone on the wider issue of women's rights.

After the vote, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said it signalled the beginning of "a new way of being the church".

"It has taken a very, very long time and the way is now open to select people for the episcopacy, to nominate them on the basis simply of our sense that they are called by God to be in that position without qualifications as to their gender," he told the BBC.

However, the issue still divides the church, with some traditionalists strongly opposed to the idea of female bishops, saying the bible dictates male leadership. However, polls indicate a clear majority of Church of England members support women bishops.