
Could an Iranian-born refugee be first female Archbishop of Canterbury?
An Iranian-born bishop whose family fled to Britain after the country's Islamic Revolution has emerged as an early favourite to be the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the first odds offered by bookmakers, the Right Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford, has been named as favourite by both Ladbrokes and Star Sports, who this week placed her at evens and 2/1 respectively to succeed Justin Welby.
If chosen, she would become the 106th holder of the role and the first woman in the job's 1,428-year history.
Francis-Dehqani, 58, criticised Sir Keir Starmer this week over his comment that Britain was 'becoming an island of strangers', saying: 'In the churches and different communities I am a part of, we are not an 'island of
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Western Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Winter Fuel Payments details of who is eligible confirmed
The payment, worth up to £300, will return for millions this winter, the Chancellor has announced. To be eligible for the winter fuel allowance, a person will need to have reached state pension age by the week starting September 15 this year. Devolved authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland will each receive a funding uplift so they too can meet the new threshold. Payments will be restored to the vast majority of pensioners who previously received it because anyone with an income of under £35,000 a year will now get the payment automatically Those with an income above this threshold will also receive the payment, but it will then be reclaimed from them in tax. Pensioners who do not want to receive the payment will be able to opt out, according to the Treasury. The decision to limit the winter fuel payment to only those who claimed pension credit was one of Labour's first acts in Government, aimed at balancing what was described as a £22 billion 'black hole' in the public finances. This meant the number of pensioners receiving the payment was reduced by around 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million. But Sir Keir Starmer announced there would be a partial U-turn on the policy in May, after it was thought to have contributed to Labour's drubbing in the local elections. The Treasury claims the new arrangement will cost £1.25 billion in England and Wales, while means-testing winter fuel will save the taxpayer £450 million. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'Targeting winter fuel payments was a tough decision but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government. 'It is also right that we continue to means test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone including the wealthiest. 'But we have now acted to expand the eligibility of the winter fuel payment so no pensioner on a lower income will miss out. NEWS. Winter Fuel Payment to be reinstated for all State Pensioners this winter, but then clawed back via tax system for all who earn over £35,000 (roughly average earnings). This is a big improvement. Full instant analysis video coming with all the details in a minute.… — Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) June 9, 2025 'This will mean over three-quarters of pensioners receiving the payment in England and Wales later this winter.' Some two million pensioners who earn more than £35,000 will see their winter fuel payments clawed back via the taxman, the Treasury estimates. Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition, claimed the Prime Minister had 'scrambled to clear up a mess of his own making'. The Conservative leader added: 'I repeatedly challenged him to reverse his callous decision to withdraw winter fuel payments, and every time Starmer arrogantly dismissed my criticisms. hr /> Recommended reading: What is the energy price cap and does it need a smart meter? 'This humiliating U-turn will come as scant comfort to the pensioners forced to choose between heating and eating last winter. The Prime Minister should now apologise for his terrible judgment.' Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'Finally the Chancellor has listened to the Liberal Democrats and the tireless campaigners in realising how disastrous this policy was, but the misery it has caused cannot be overstated. 'Countless pensioners were forced to choose between heating and eating all whilst the Government buried its head in the sand for months on end, ignoring those who were really suffering. 'We will now study the detail of this proposal closely to make sure those who need support actually get that support. The pain they went through this winter cannot be for nothing.'


Reuters
17 minutes ago
- Reuters
Farage's Reform UK picks TV presenter as new chairman
LONDON, June 10 (Reuters) - Nigel Farage's Reform UK has appointed David Bull, a doctor and television presenter, as its new chairman who will have the job of trying to end the party's infighting and turn it into a political force capable of winning a general election. Reform, which has five members of parliament, has recently seen a surge in support in opinion polls, overtaking British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's governing Labour as Britain's most popular political party. Bull's appointment comes after previous chairman Zia Yusuf abruptly quit the party last week after expressing frustration when a Reform lawmaker called for a ban on the burqa. Yusuf returned days later in a new role, citing exhaustion for his earlier decision to quit. Bull has previously served as deputy leader of Reform and stood unsuccessfully for election to parliament last year. He has spent more than two decades in broadcasting, appearing as a commentator, expert and presenter, and currently works for Rupert Murdoch's online channel Talk. On Tuesday, Farage dismissed suggestions the party was deeply divided, saying "people come and go in politics" and "given the sins that were committed last week, look at my levels of forgiveness". But the fractious internal politics of the party, which supports reducing immigration and abandoning policies to address climate change, has led to questions about whether Farage holds too much power. The change of chairman comes months after an acrimonious battle to remove one of the party's members of parliament, Rupert Lowe, who was suspended after being accused of bullying and threatening Reform staff members. Lowe denied the allegations and prosecutors later said they would not bring charges against him. New figures on Tuesday showed the party had yet to receive the large political donations previously promised by its treasurer, British billionaire Nick Candy. Reform received 1.49 million pounds ($2 million) in donations in the first quarter of this year, the first full three-month period since Candy was appointed, which was below the 2.6 million pounds donated to Labour and the 5.5 million pounds raised by the opposition Conservative Party. Candy said when appointed that he would bring in tens of millions of pounds in donations, and more money than any other party. Farage said it would be a big challenge to match the fundraising of more established parties, but Reform donations increased about 10-fold compared with the previous quarter. ($1 = 0.7413 pounds)


The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Reeves says spending review will be about ‘making working people better off'
Rachel Reeves has acknowledged that not enough people are feeling the progress Labour has made and said her spending review will be about 'making working people better off'. The Chancellor is expected to announce funding increases for the NHS, schools and defence along with a number of infrastructure projects on Wednesday, as she shares out some £113 billion freed up by looser borrowing rules. But other areas could face cuts as she seeks to balance manifesto commitments with more recent pledges, such as a hike in defence spending, while meeting her fiscal rules that promise to match day-to-day spending with revenues. Sir Keir Starmer meanwhile rejected the idea that squeezed police budgets could make communities less safe. The Prime Minister also said that the decision to reinstate most winter fuel payments was not a response to the backlash against the policy. The Chancellor has committed £16.7 billion to nuclear power projects, including £14.2 billion of investment to build the new Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk. Ms Reeves said the Government was 'making Labour choices' and 'making progress' in an address to the GMB Union Congress in Brighton on Tuesday. She said: 'I know that not enough working people are yet feeling that progress, and that's what tomorrow's spending review is all about – making working people better off, investing in our security, investing in our health, investing in our economy. 'This Government is going for growth because that is the best way to create jobs, boost wages, lift people out of poverty, and sustainably fund our schools and our hospitals and all the public services we rely on. 'And we're doing things differently, because unlike the Tories, I don't think that the only good thing that a government can do is get out of the way.' Sir Keir was asked about reports that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was among those concerned that the financial settlement for police in the spending review could lead to crimes not being investigated. 'No, we will be more safe,' he told GB News. The Prime Minister also rejected the idea that he had reversed course on winter fuel payments amid political pressure. 'We had to take difficult decisions in the budget; the economy was broken,' he told Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2. But he cited recent growth figures and falling interest rates as proof that 'the economy has stabilised'. Ms Reeves is under pressure to reverse course on cuts to benefits after she confirmed a U-turn on winter fuel payments that will see them restored to pensioners with an income of less than £35,000-a-year. She stood firm on welfare reforms on Tuesday as a union representative urged her to 'think again' on the cuts. The Chancellor said the current system is 'not sustainable' and that reforms aimed to get those who can work back into work and help 'fulfil the ambitions of people with disabilities themselves to get back into work'. The reforms include plans to tighten the eligibility criteria for personal independence payments, known as Pip.