Blair goes head to head with cardinal in war of words over independence

Story in full TONY Blair, the Prime Minister, took on the head of the Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday, insisting that Cardinal Keith O'Brien's newly-declared support for Scottish independence should carry no weight with his flock.

Cardinal O'Brien infuriated Scottish Labour figures by saying at the weekend he would be "happy" for Scotland to become independent and that he could see growing public support for the move.

His words have been seized upon by the SNP as a sign of tacit support ahead of next year's Holyrood elections.

At a Downing Street press conference, Mr Blair effectively accused the cardinal of wanting to "take the country backwards" by supporting independence, and he insisted the priest's words should have no political influence on the 750,000 Catholics in Scotland.

"I wouldn't have thought it is a matter of religious faith, at least I hope not," Mr Blair said when asked about the cardinal's views on independence.

The Prime Minister went on: "Independence would be a disaster for Scotland because it would wreck its economy, stop it functioning as part of the UK and take the country backwards."

The cardinal's remarks are said to have alarmed some in the Catholic hierarchy, who fear the Church becoming entangled in politics. Since the weekend, his aides have been trying to downplay the matter, insisting he was doing nothing more than agreeing to abide by the will of the Scottish electorate.

But Labour figures believe his decision to talk of independence as increasingly likely was a deliberate attempt to give tacit support to the SNP.

Cardinal O'Brien said again yesterday that he would be "happy" if Scotland left the United Kingdom. "Independence is coming, perhaps not in the next few years, but within the seeable future," he wrote in a Glasgow newspaper.

Mr Blair is a practising Anglican with strong Catholic sympathies - some expect him to convert to Catholicism when he leaves Downing Street.

The Prime Minister is usually publicly respectful to the Catholic Church, and Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, said his remarks were a sign that the Labour leadership was worried. "Blair sounds like a man in a state of total panic as Scottish opinion moves steadily toward independence," Mr Salmond said. "Any attacks from Blair on this issue will only strengthen support for independence even further."

Meanwhile, the government brushed aside suggestions from an all-party group of MPs that the West Lothian Question raised by devolution must be answered.

The Scottish affairs committee in July warned that devolution could be "undermined" unless the government addressed English concerns that Scots MPs can vote on English legislation, but English MPs have no equivalent power.

In its formal response yesterday, the Scotland Office insisted there was no need for a constitutional change such as banning Scots MPs from voting on English laws. "The subject has been comprehensively debated inside and outside of parliament for well over a hundred years," ministers wrote to the committee. "The government remains as committed now to devolution as it was in 1997, just as it remains committed to a single class of member in the UK parliament."

The voice of religion

• GAY ADOPTION: Joseph Devine, Bishop of Motherwell, warned MSPs against adopting "distressing legislation" that would "violate family life". (February, 2006)

• QUICKIE DIVORCES: Cardinal O'Brien stepped into the row over the Scottish Executive's plans. (November, 2005)

• FAMILIES: Cardinal O'Brien said Catholics must have more children or face seeing their faith eclipsed by those of immigrants. (October, 2004)

• IRAQ: Archbishops of Canterbury and York rebuked the government over the behaviour of western security forces in Iraq. (June, 2004)