The General Synod of the Church of England has voted to reject the draft legislation to allow women to become bishops.

Under synod requirements the legislation required a two-thirds majority in each of the three voting houses for final draft approval.

While more than two thirds voted for the legislation in both the House of Bishops (44-03) and the House of Clergy (148-45), the vote in favour in the House of Laity was less than two-thirds (132-74).

The laity vote therefore fell short of approval by six votes.

In total 324 members of General Synod voted in favour of the legislation, and 122 against it. 

The "no" vote means that draft legislation in the same terms cannot be introduced until a new General Synod comes into being in 2015. That is, unless the 'Group of Six' (the Archbishops, the Prolocutors and the Chair and Vice Chair of the House of Laity) give permission and report to synod why they have done so.

Speaking after the vote, the Rt Rev Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, said: "A clear majority of General Synod today voted in favour of the legislation to consecrate women as bishops. But the bar of approval is set very high in this synod.

"Two-thirds of each house has to approve the legislation for it to pass. This ensures the majority is overwhelming. The majority in the house of laity was not quite enough.

"This leaves us with a problem: 42 out of 44 dioceses approved the legislation and more than three quarters of members of diocesan synods voted in favour. There will be many who wonder why General Synod expressed its mind so differently.

"The House of Bishops recognises that the Church of England has expressed its mind that women should be consecrated as bishops. There is now an urgent task to find a fresh way forward to which so many of those who were opposed have pledged themselves."

The Bishops of the Church of England will meet on Wednesday morning in emergency session to consider the consequences of the vote.

Exact voting figures can be found here