The Church of England’s canon law dictates that clergy must retire at 75, even if they are fit and well, which Willis says is “a deep disappointment”. He says: “We are now faced with the fact that when the clock strikes on 16 May I shall no longer be the Dean and can take no part from that moment onwards.

“We are really disappointed that all the energy and vision we have can no longer be used for this place because of this anomalous law which pertains only to the clergy.”

Given the repeated warnings about shortages of vicars in the Church of England, is this not a requirement that could be relaxed?

Will Bercow quit the Privy Council?

John Bercow, the former House of Commons speaker, might have been banned for life from Parliament, but he has hung on to his membership of the Privy Council, which advises the Monarch. This is causing some concern among privy councillors, one of whom points out that he will be able to play a role in the accession of the Prince of Wales to the throne.

This is because every member of the 700-strong council is summoned to form an Accession Council in St James’s Palace to make the necessary formal proclamation of the succession. Some hope that Bercow might quietly give up his Privy Council membership, following the example of disgraced ministers John Profumo and Jonathan Aitken. But don’t hold your breath. The only member to be formally removed from the council in the past century was former Labour MP Elliot Morley after he went to prison over the expenses scandal.