Saturday, October 11, 2008

Scottish Catholic leader urges public to vote in Glenrothes by-election

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who has been an outspoken critic of some key Labour policies, has written a letter to be read out in the constituency's three Catholic parishes this weekend.

The seat is in his archdiocese and he urges parishioners to "go out and vote", while also reminding them of key areas of concern for the church, including the Government's commitment to the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

He also bemoans the "depressing reality" that 40 years after it was passed the Abortion Act has not been repealed or amended, and warns of the threat of new amendments to the controversial Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

He has previously claimed that the legislation, which would allow the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos, would lead to experiments of "Frankenstein proportion".

The 70-year-old cardinal was criticised before last year's Holyrood elections when he predicted that Scottish independence would happen "before too long".

In the same interview he said nations such as Ireland and Denmark had benefited "from the prosperity which self-determination can bring."

His latest foray into the political arena will do little to help Labour's chances of retaining the seat in a two-way fight with the SNP.

The outcome of the by-election on November 6 is being seen as crucial to Gordon Brown's premiership following Labour's embarrassing defeat in the Glasgow East by-election where the SNP overturned a 13,500 majority.

Bookmakers have already installed the Nationalists as favourites to win in Glenrothes despite the fact that Labour is defending a majority of more than 10,000.

The seat is next door to the Prime Minister's own constituency and he has been urged by the Labour candidate Lindsay Roy, the head teacher at Mr Brown's old school, to campaign in the seat.

Shortly before the Glasgow East by-election, Cardinal O'Brien told Catholic voters there that the HFE proposals were a "monstrous attack on human rights".

He also reminds Catholic voters in his letter to Glenrothes of the continued existence of the "overtly sectarian" Act of Settlement that prevents any Roman Catholic taking the throne.

He tells voters: "I am taking this opportunity to write to you, not in order to direct or influence your choice in that vote but rather to urge your active participation in the political process which it involves.

"Thus I urge you also in your parish groups and as a community of faith to host or participate in hustings and campaign meetings.

"Make sure that those who stand before you for election are well aware that an active community of Catholic citizens exists here in this constituency."
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(Source: SCT)