Former Bishop of Winchester Michael Scott-Joynt, who strongly opposed LGBT rights in the House of Lords, has died age 71.

Reverend Scott-Joynt served as Bishop of Stafford from 1987–1995, and sat in the House of Lords as the Bishop of Winchester from 1995 until his retirement in 2011.

During his time in the Lords he opposed equalising the age of consent, the Equality Act, the Civil Partnership Act and the Gender Recognition Act among others, and in 2003, he opposed the appointment of gay Canon Jeffery John.

The Bishop also claimed that clergy would be sued for not performing civil partnerships, and claimed that equality laws mean gay rights are being “privileged” over the rights of Christians.

He also reiterated that the church should not “affirm the lifestyle” of gay people, saying: “I see no future for the Anglican Communion as we know it, or for the Church of England as we know it, if either deserts this teaching.”

Earlier today, the Church in Wales announced it has launched a consultation to evaluate whether it should solemnise same-sex marriages.