Could Blair be the first Catholic Prime Minister?

1.44.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 15th Oct 2004

According to a report in todays online Guardian Tony Blair is thinking of converting to Catholicism. Regardless of if he does decide to convert this should be used to highlight the fact that the UK still discriminates against Catholics. Under the current law Catholics cannot hold a whole range of other positions - such as be Monarch.

Whilst I am not a Catholic, one of my proudest achievements in the Liberal Democrats was to start the process which has led to the party calling for the repeal of the Act of Settlement (1701) which contains most of the anti-Catholic (and other religious) discrimination. Regardless of ones religious beliefs this outdated piece of legislation should be repealed in the name of equality and fairness.

I suspect Labour won't repeal the Act of Settlement and Blair will wait until after his is no longer Prime Minister to convert, although there is no good reason not to repeal and I suspect the process would be a very quick one with very few objections. Interestingly the Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy is a Catholic and the Conservative leader Michael Howard is Jewish.