Date published: 2005/03/22
The BBC says:
Religion should not play the same role in British politics that it does in America, Tony Blair has said.
Mr Blair said he did not want a system where politicians went out "beating their chests about our faith".
The prime minister was speaking to a Christian group already addressed by the Tory and Lib Dem leaders.
During a questions session, he warned that "we are piling up problems for the future" when inner city women start families when "very, very young".
"It is important that they get role models at school and in the community, where they see it is not a great life, trying to bring up a single parent family aged 17 or 18 - actually it is pretty miserable," he said.
Downing Street later insisted Mr Blair did not want to blame any particular group for the ills of society.
Mr Blair was speaking to church leaders, other faith representatives and community activists in London about his vision for the role of faith in the UK.
The lecture was organised by the Faithworks Movement, which hopes faith will be a hotly contested election issue.
In the questions session after his speech, Mr Blair was asked about reports that Alastair Campbell had once told an interviewer who asked about Mr Blair's faith: "I'm sorry, we don't do God."
Mr Blair said faith was very important on a personal level but could quickly become misinterpreted.
"I don't want to end up with an American-style type of politics with us all going out there and beating our chests about our faith," he said.
People were defined by their faith but it was "a bit unhealthy" if it became used in the political process.
What is happening with our prime minister, he's starting to make sense, after several years of doing and saying everything wrong. We definitely don't want the religious nutters involved in the running of Britain like those that run and have ruined America.
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