Ian Hislop hits out at Justin Welby for attending British Museum gala one day after resignation

Private Eye editor says it was ‘jaw-dropping’ to see Welby at event so soon after resigning

Ian Hislop has hit out at the Archbishop of Canterbury after he attended a gala one day after his resignation over an abuse scandal within the Church of England.

Justin Welby, who will officially step down early next year, announced his resignation last week after days of mounting pressure over failures in his handling of the case of prolific abuser John Smyth.

Private Eye editor Mr Hislop said it was “jaw-dropping” to see Mr Welby at the British Museum’s annual dinner for trustees just a day after he quit for an “appalling scandal and cover-up of monstrous abuse”.

In a column for the magazine, Mr Hislop wrote he was unimpressed by Mr Welby’s appearance at the dinner.

“Isn’t this lovely?” said Mr Welby to Mr Hislop, who replied: “It is lovely that you have resigned.” Mr Hislop said this was “not the most brilliant bit of repartee”, but an exchange of views followed and they parted on unfriendly terms. 

The Have I Got News For You host also criticised those at the gala that approached Mr Welby to comfort him and tell him he is “brave” for resigning.

“These particular Christians were far too keen to forgive each other for their sins,” Mr Hislop wrote, “and far too slow to seek justice for the poor victims in their flock”.

He added: “Welby seemed to me to be unrepentant and unashamed. I am not convinced he has been punished enough – unlike the poor boys his friend so mercilessly flogged in the name of Christianity.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned following the damning Makin Review (Doug Peters/PA) (PA Wire)

Mr Hislop’s magazine, Private Eye, has long covered the scandal that led to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation.

Mr Welby will officially step down on 6 January, Lambeth Palace announced on Wednesday.

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the second-most senior bishop in the Church of England, will take on Mr Welby’s official duties.

At the time of announcing his resignation, Mr Welby said he was quitting “in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse” following days of pressure after the independent review concluded John Smyth – the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church – might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported him to police in 2013.

He had initially declined to resign when the report was published, saying he had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse” before 2013 but acknowledging the review had found that after its wider exposure that year he had “personally failed to ensure” it was “energetically investigated”.

Across five decades in three different countries and involving as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa, John Smyth is said to have subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.

He died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and was “never brought to justice for the abuse”, the independent Makin Review said.

The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) is responsible for appointing the next archbishop, examining candidates, holding interviews and eventually putting forward a name to the Prime Minister, who then passes it to the King.