Keep religion out of it.

So Tony Blair did not talk about his religious beliefs while in office for fear of being thought a "nutter". He contrasts this country's attitude to such matters with that in America, where politicians tend to wear their religion very much on their sleeve. I think the distinction is purely pragmatic - in America the "religious right" carries a great deal of clout, and is a force which has to be reckoned with politically. In this country, if anything, the reverse is true - we have an instinctive dislike of anyone who "preaches" at us. But more to the point is that we elect governments (at least in theory) to do what is best for the country, that is all of us, and frankly, religious belief - or for that matter a lack of such beliefs - has no part to play in making such decisions. And in any event, I can't help thinking how does Blair square his religious beliefs with going to war and being responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians?