The amendment would have allowed clergy who do not recognise the validity of women bishops to seek alternative oversight from a male bishop.

From the Church Times:

General Synod votes against Archbishops’ amendment
10/07/2010 17:15:00

The latest (5.15pm) from General Synod meeting in York: Synod has voted against the amendment proposed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York that would have allowed for “co-ordinate jurisdiction” for those opposed to women bishops.

The vote was narrowly lost in the House of Clergy. The numbers:

Bishops: 25 for 15 against 0 abstain
Clergy: 85 for 90 against 5 abstain
Laity: 106 for 86 against 4 abstain

As a whole, more Synod members were in favour – 216 to 191.

For conservatives who can’t accept women bishops – and who would like the Church of England to remain intact – this is bad news.

For Rowan Williams this is bad news: it is another example of his failed leadership.

For those – like me – who think  liberal and conservative versions of Christianity are actually two different religions and that, because of this,  a split is inevitable, this could be good news: why delay the inevitable?

For the average non-Anglican it is not news at all.

Interestingly, it was the clergy who defeated this motion, not the laity (too much common sense?) or bishops (too politically astute?).