Catholics and the UK general election

It is not usual for religion to be an election issue in the UK. But the general election which will be held on May 5 seems to be an exception. The Labour Party, for example, is being described by none other than the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales as "no longer the natural party of Catholics".

Although Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, did not specifically tell Catholic voters not to vote Labour (traditionally the party which most Catholics support) he told them to judge candidates "principally by their willingness to defend human life and the family".

During a press conference launching a pre-election statement by the Catholic bishops. Cardinal Murphy O'Connor spoke of the past when Catholics were on the whole Labour supporters because most of them came from the working class and hence they were convinced that it was the party that looked after their interests. Then he added: "I'm not so sure that that could be as true today."

Only a day before the press conference Prime Minister Tony Blair said that he was not prepared to tighten the laws on abortion. "However much I dislike the idea of abortion, you should not criminalise a woman who in very difficult circumstances makes that choice," he said.

On the other hand Conservative leader Michael Howard, who in the past voted for abortion, said that he would be willing to reduce the gestation period allowed for abortion from 24 weeks to 20 weeks.

This was welcomed by another Catholic prelate, Archbishop Smith of Cardiff (who was also present at the press conference). He said that any reduction would be very welcome. "We all would go a lot further than Michael Howard, although realistically that would not happen." The statement by the bishops referred also to Catholic social teaching, marriage and the family, criminal justice, education, the global common good and refugees and migrants.

Another issue now being debated in the UK is that of Catholics and the monarchy. A Catholic Conservative MP has proposed the abolition of the ban on Catholics becoming King or Queen of Great Britain. The MP, Edward Leigh, has introduced a Bill in the House of Commons in an attempt to repeal anti-Catholic sections of four Acts of Parliament.

Mr Leigh said in the House while moving the Bill that the present legislation was discriminatory and perpetuated values of 16th and 17th century Britain. He said that the law on the marriage of heirs to the throne of England to non-Protestants applied only to Catholics. Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, atheists and even Satanists were excluded from the ban.

Not surprisingly, Mr Leigh's proposal has the backing of the Tory leader, who described the present legislation as an anachronism. He then went on to promise that if the Tories won the coming election he, as Prime Minister, would "certainly consider" reforming the British Constitution "to remove its anti-Catholic bias".

It will be interesting to see, come May 5, whether Catholic voters in the UK will be influenced by Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's statements and Mr Howard's promises.