An investigation by Sir Philip Mawer into events surrounding his resignation was published on Friday. It said the Church needed to revisit a compromise settlement made in 2014 to try and hold together those who support and reject women's ordination.

But a conservative grouping within the CofE, of which North is a part, said the Church should respond by appointing more traditionalists to senior positions to ensure a full spectrum of views is represented.

'A Church in England' is how the C of E can rebrand its ailing company and its failing product. It can no longer claim to represent the people of England -- such a boast would be both pompous and pretentious.

This week, the British Social Attitudes Survey pronounced the coroner's verdict on the strange death of the Church of England. Only 3 per cent of adults under 24 are Anglican. In the 25-34 age group, only 5 per cent identify as Anglicans. Only 15 per cent of British adults call themselves Anglican. The decline is catastrophic. It is time to lay the C of E to rest.

The number of people who describe themselves as having 'no religion' is up five per cent from 48 per cent in 2015.

The proportion of non-believers has increased gradually since the survey began in 1983, when the proportion saying they had no religion stood at 31 per cent.

The decline in religious affiliation is hitting the Church of England particularly hard. Just 15 per cent of people in Britain consider themselves Anglican, half the proportion who said this in 2000.