Blair feared being called 'nutter'

Published on Monday 26 November 2007 00:19

TONY Blair suppressed his Christian religious views while prime minister for fear of being labelled "a nutter", he said last night.

Mr Blair said his faith had been "hugely important" to his premiership.

His former spin doctor Alastair Campbell once told reporters: "We don't do God," when asked about Mr Blair's beliefs.

However, the ex-prime ministerial press secretary acknowledged that his former boss "does do God in quite a big way", but that both men feared the public would be wary.

Mr Blair said his faith was a crucial component for him in having the character to take on the prime minister's job.

"For me, having faith was an important part of being able to do that," he said.

But while it was commonplace in the US and elsewhere for politicians to talk about their religious convictions, he added: "You talk about it in our system and, frankly, people do think you're a nutter."

British voters imagined that leaders who were informed by religion would "commune with the man upstairs and then come back and say, 'Right, I've been told the answer and that's it'".

Mr Blair said Mr Campbell's refusal to discuss his faith was not due to any opposition to his beliefs, but, rather, because "you always get into trouble talking about it".