THE new Second Church Estates Commissioner is Marsha de Cordova MP, who succeeds Andrew Selous, it was announced on Monday.
Ms de Cordova, the Labour MP for Battersea since 2017, is the second woman to hold the post (the first was Caroline Spelman, from 2015 to 2019) and the first person of colour. A long-time campaigner for disability rights, she served as a Shadow Minister for Disabled People from 2017 to 2020, before taking up the post of Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities until 2021.
Born with nystagmus (an involuntary movement of the eye) and registered severely sight-impaired, she worked for a number of charities before her election in 2017: at Action for Blind People; as the founder of South East Vision; and latterly as the engagement and advocacy director of the Thomas Pocklington Trust.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said on Monday that he was “delighted” by her appointment. He thanked Mr Selous for his “tireless work . . . always underpinned by his strong Christian faith and deep commitment to public service”.
The First Church Estates Commissioner, Alan Smith, said: “Marsha’s wisdom, parliamentary experience, and deep personal faith, along with her expertise in the charity sector, and her passion about equality for all, will greatly benefit the Church Commissioners as we further the mission of the Church and serve our local communities.”
Raised by her mother in Bristol as one of six children, Ms Cordova has described how a book about Nelson Mandela — a gift for her tenth birthday from a cousin — served as an inspiration for her political career. She has also described herself as “passionate” about the rights of Palestinians, speaking regularly on the issue since her election in 2017.
Other themes of her contributions include structural and institutional racism, building safety, disability rights, and eye health. She has spoken frequently about her mother’s insistence that she remain in the mainstream education system as a crucial moment in determining her future.
Ms de Cordova’s grandparents arrived from Jamaica with HMS Windrush, to be joined by her mother in the 1960s. In the wake of the Windrush scandal, she observed during a parliamentary debate that “the racism and discrimination they experienced when they arrived here remains today.”
In an interview with the Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, on Premier Radio in 2021, she described discovering Christian faith during her twenties after being invited to a church. It was the account of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples that had proved pivotal, she said. She considered her election in a seat deemed unwinnable in 2017 to be “God-breathed”: “That was my calling to public service by the Lord, and I will do so for as long as he wants me in that position.”
She has attended Holy Trinity, Clapham, a church in the Holy Trinity, Brompton, network, for a number of years.
Supported by sighted assistance, Ms de Cordova has spoken about the challenges of navigating Westminster as a partially sighted person. She told The Times that she could see “blurry outlines of faces and some colours, nothing after a few feet”, and that the former Education Secretary Lord Blunkett had served as an inspiration.
“My faith really does anchor me,” she told GB News two years ago.
On Monday, she described the Church of England as a “core part of our national story” that “plays a vital role in our society. I look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners — and my fellow parliamentarians — to help further the work of the Church.”
A trade unionist and a member of Unite the Union, she is also an officer of Christians in Parliament and Honorary Vice-President of the Clergy Support Trust.
The announcement of her appointment this week ends the longest wait for a Second Church Estates Commissioner since the office was established in 1948 (News, 6 September). More than three months have passed since the General Election. It is understood, however, that her appointment was decided in July.
The post has typically been held by a more senior member of the House of Commons, with MPs taking on the position as a final responsibility before retirement. Mr Selous had served as an MP for 19 years on his appointment. In 1974, however, Terence Walker was appointed just nine months after becoming the Labour MP for Kingswood. He was 39 at the time; Ms de Cordova is 48. She is scheduled to answer oral questions in the House of Commons next Monday.