Labour activist quits post over anti-Catholicism
Conor McGinn has resigned as vice chairman of Young Labour because of hostility towards Catholics and the pro-life movement
By Ed West
30 May 2008

A prominent young member of the Labour Party has resigned his post in protest at the party's alleged anti-Catholic prejudice and its hostility towards the pro-life movement.

Conor McGinn, the vice chairman of Young Labour, a youth section of the party, stood down over the party's one-sided approach to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, he said, as well as anti-Catholic comments made by a Labour MEP.

He wrote in his letter of resignation: "As you know, I have always kept my Catholic faith a private and personal matter. My views on several aspects of the Bill, particularly the amendments relating to abortion, are sincerely and deeply held, and I respect and acknowledge that those who disagree with me hold equally sincere views.

"It is because of this that I found it unacceptable that units of Young Labour, including London Young Labour, organised and advertised events to campaign on one side of the argument, in what is, after all, an issue of conscience and not party politics."

Mr McGinn, who remains a member of the party, said he was taken aback by the anti-Catholic language used by some members of the party, in particular Mary Honeyball MEP, who described Catholicism as having a "vice-like grip" across Europe, and accused Catholics of "interfering in the democratic process".

"This type of sectarian diatribe makes me wonder whether a prejudice that we all thought was long consigned to the past is slowly re-emerging," he said.

"I, like many other Catholics and Labour Party members, feel very offended, hurt and insulted by these comments and actions. It is for these reasons that I am tendering my resignation."

Miss Honeyball said in the Guardian newspaper: "Politics and piety are becoming increasingly entangled as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill passes through Parliament. But democracy and religion do not mix.

"It is Gordon Brown's kowtowing to threats of resignation from three Catholic Government ministers - Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, Des Browne, the Defence Secretary and Paul Murphy, the Welsh Secretary - that has undermined his strength."

She added: "In allowing a free vote on three of the Bill's most important clauses, the PM has failed to protect the rights of the general public... Most people obviously disagree with a Catholic morality that puts the rights of the non-extant over those of the living.

"The vice-like grip of Catholicism holds fast across large parts of the continent... Anti-abortion campaigns have, almost without exception, been led from the pulpit.

"Catholicism has never taken a back seat; it has always actively interfered in democratic politics. In 2006 Pope Benedict castigated Catholic politicians in Canada for voting for gay rights and Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of Scotland's Catholics, is alleged to have compared same-sex relationships to paedophilia."

Highlighting the European Parliament's dismissal of Christian commissioner Rocco Buttiglione for his views on homosexuality, Miss Honeyball asked: "I wonder whether the Commons would have stood in the way of Ruth Kelly's appointment as minister for equality. Her strong religious beliefs obviously made her an inappropriate choice for this job, which involved standing up for the rights of homosexuals."

Miss Honeyball criticised Ruth Kelly's stance on the gay adoption law, adding: "When it came to the crunch, her Catholic faith won the day. Should devout Catholics such as Kelly, Browne and Murphy be allowed on the government front bench in the light of their predilection to favour the pope's word above the government's? Politicians are voted in to represent their electorates. People who vote for me and my colleagues expect us to further the interests of the public at large, not those of any particular religion, church, mosque, synagogue, temple or indeed any other interest group."

"Her article was gratitutously offensive to Catholics," said Mr McGinn: "I have e-mailed her and I haven't had a response from her. Mary will know the hurt she has caused.

"Anti-Catholicism, although it doesn't overtly manifest itself, is ingrained. They are, in effect, questioning the loyalty of Catholics and using Guy Fawkes-era language. I have been in contact with a lot of people who have been offended by the article."

Mr McGinn said he remained "absolutely supportive" of the Government and of Labour. "I enjoyed my time and I respect the people I work with. But I felt Mary Honeyball's article meant my position was untenable. "We've had a fantastic 10 years of Government. I'm proud of it because our social programme chimes with the Church. But we have to have a debate about the role of faith in politics. Many people are saying anyone who has a religious opinion which forms their political agenda can't be in Government. But there are a lot of things that shape my political and ethical beliefs. Catholicism is one of those but it doesn't make it any less valid.

"There is a creeping prejudice against Catholicism and any faith perspective. It will become almost untenable for any religious person to be in Government."

The Labour Party has 43 Catholic MPs, most of whom voted against the embryology Bill. One of the rebels, Crosby MP Dr Claire Curtis-Thomas, said she did not sense anti-Catholic prejudice in the party.

But she added: "The secular community is very concerned about what it perceives as the Church having a greater interest in political issues.

"My view has been that the Church has to fight its corner, to be true to the values of that community. On this occasion we were better organised we put up a campaign. I regret that the Government stood by its whip arrangements rather than allowing us to vote on a matter of conscience. They're going to win anyway so you may as well be magnaminous.

"Mary Honeyball is entitled to her opinion. We are pretty tolerant. I say the Church doesn't dictate my conscience but I am a member of a faith circle and I am proud to uphold its teaching. I say, please don't try to involve the role of my faith when the government is trying to encourage faith communities, and welcome us with open arms.

"It's a total fallacy to pretend that faith organisations aren't doing a lot in Britain, and the Catholic faith isn't doing more than most. I think sometimes there is a convenient amnesia but that doesn't extend to policy makers or the Prime Minister.

"The most vociferous opponents of the abortion clause were Labour MPs, but they weren't anti-Catholic. They had a genuine fear that if they reduced the time limit it would lead to a lack of support for pregnant women."

But Morecambe and Lunesdale MP Geraldine Smith said that, while she never experienced anti-Catholic prejudice, there was a difference in attitude between old and new Labour over religion.

"I think there could be something in that Labour had strong Methodist leanings and a large number of Catholics, and the new Embryology Bill has been the influence of the new London elite." she said. " But the metropolitan elite are not representative of the Labour Party."