THE Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, is coming under increasing pressure to allow himself to be considered as the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

But it seemed today that Dr Hope will stand firm in his determination to remain at York until his retirement.

Dr Hope has indicated previously he would be unlikely to stand as a successor to Dr George Carey and wanted to stay in the North.

It has emerged that fellow bishops pressed Dr Hope to reconsider his stance at a private meeting of the House of Bishops in York last week.

Supporters are said to believe he has the best credentials for the Church of England's top job, including the most experience and the best administrative skills.

He is also very popular amongst church-goers.

But a spokesman stressed today that, while Dr Hope was grateful for the support he had received, he had previously made it very clear that he had every intention of remaining at York until his retirement. Dr Hope's final position is expected to be revealed shortly, when he indicates his willingness to serve on the Crown Appointments Commission, the body which considers possible candidates and submits two possible names to the Prime Minister. If Dr Hope agrees to serve on the commission, that would rule him out of the running for Canterbury.

Updated: 15:39 Tuesday, January 22, 2002