The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Toby Matthew Howarth for election as Bishop of Leeds. Dr Howarth is currently the Suffragan Bishop of Bradford in the Diocese of Leeds.
He will succeed The Right Reverend Nicholas Baines following his retirement. The nomination was approved by The King on the advice of the previous Prime Minister.
Bishop Howarth has served as Bishop of Bradford since 2014 and has also been Acting Bishop of Leeds since 2025. His background includes roles as an Inter-Faith Adviser to the Bishop of Birmingham and Secretary for Inter-Religious Affairs to the Archbishop of Canterbury.