'Justin Welby had no choice but to quit as Archbishop of Canterbury - it was a grievous failure'

"By taking personal and institutional responsibility, Justin Welby recognises their hurt and his error, but questions remain about who knew what and whether blind eyes were turned"

Justin Welby had no choice but to quit as Archbishop of Canterbury after his mishandling of a sex abuse scandal let sadist John Smyth evade justice.

He did not check the police and other authorities were notified in 2013 about the evangelical Christian’s predatory behaviour.

It was a failure so grievous he probably would have been toppled had he not resigned. The damning independent Makin report published last week was fatal for Welby.

The introduction of tougher safeguarding doesn’t wipe the slate clean.

Survivors of Smyth’s wicked behaviour deserve total sympathy and support, and it was completely understandable that some were demanding the archbishop’s resignation.

By taking personal and institutional responsibility, Welby recognises their hurt and his error, but questions remain about who knew what and whether blind eyes were turned.

This isn’t the end of this horrible episode for the Church of England.

Green dream

Clearner, cheaper and more secure, green energy is about saving money, and protecting Britain as well as the planet.

Keir Starmer and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband are right to sell green power as good financially for households and businesses instead of relying solely on net zero pitches.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent gas and oil prices rocketing, underlining the need for self-sufficiency, with wind turbines and nuclear plants generating most of our electricity.

Mapping out at Cop29 why and how renewables are the future is a step into the light after all the suffocating hot air from a carbon brigade who are stuck in the past.

Flying visit

Twitchers who flocked to a Yorkshire cul-de-sac to see a scarlet tanager blown in from America were a sight to behold.

Imagine a flock of birds flying hundreds of miles to see a man in an anorak with binoculars to appreciate the full glory of this moment.