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				MSPs Call For End To Ban on Catholic Succession

The future of the monarchy: special report

Gerard Seenan, December 17, 1999, The Guardian, England

Labour MSPs yesterday called for change to the law that prevents Roman Catholics or anyone married to a Catholic from succeeding to the British throne.

Tony Blair has claimed that changing the act of settlement would be too complex, but Labour MSPs yesterday voted with most of the Scottish parliament for the 1701 act to be amended.

Although MSPs have no power to amend the act, they were touting the motion to show Westminster there was wide support for change. Cross-party support was given to the motion after the Scottish National party, who initiated the debate, agreed to an amendment which acknowledged the complexity of changing the act. This allowed Labour MSPs to vote for change without openly defying the prime minister.

The act was passed by the English parliament to exclude Catholic descendants of James II and secure succession to the Protestant house of Hanover.

The prime minister - whose wife, Cherie, is a Catholic - says he has sympathy with calls for change. But since amending the law would require agreement from commonwealth states and would cause constitutional problems within the Church of England, Mr Blair is not prepared to devote parliamentary time to its amendment.