“At a time when the United Kingdom is experiencing a sharp economic downturn, when families are worried about paying the bills and when unemployment is starting to rise, I question whether trying to shunt through Parliament changes to the Act of Settlement is the best use of government time. Whilst the Private Member’s Bill on this issue is likely to be defeated, government action on this issue would be an inappropriate use of time.
Constitutional tinkering of this nature is not helpful and is a poor use of parliamentary time. The constitutional fabric of our country has emerged slowly and organically over many hundreds of years going back to the time of the Norman Conquest: to start attempting to unpick elements of the constitutional settlement in the pursuit of some headlines is unwise.
When the Roman Catholic Bishop of Arundel and Brighton said that allowing members of the Royal Family to marry Roman Catholics was "not of major concern" he was correct. There is no-one jumping up and down in the streets demanding this change, so why make such a song and dance about it?
How different the Bishop's considered response from the outburst of Alasdair McDonnell. If the Act of Settlement is of no interest to him why issue press statements on it? I welcome his interest in the intricacies of the UK constituional settlement.
If the government really wanted to address issues of concern to Roman Catholic people perhaps they should look at issues like abortion, civil partnerships, animal-human hybrid embryos and other measures which they have pursued that conflict with established Roman Catholic teaching. Compared to those fundamental issues, questions about who marries who seem completely irrelevant.”
