FUTURE monarchs should be allowed to be members of any faith and not just Anglicanism, a contender for Scottish Labour's deputy leadership has said.
Speaking ahead of the first hustings tomorrow, Glasgow MP Anas Sarwar said the rules which state the monarch must be in communion with the Church of England should be changed.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Herald, Mr Sarwar also said he wanted to outline a positive case for Scotland to stay in the UK, highlighting the platform it gives to Scotland to lead in the world.
“I have got more confidence In Scotland than the SNP,” he said. “The SNP has the slogan ‘together we can make Scotland better’. In fact, I believe that we can make the world better too.”
He cited the development studies centre at Aberdeen University which he said was a Scottish institution “leading policy thought for the UN Security Council on development”.
“Now the reason that we can do that is because (as part of the UK) we have a seat at the top table,” he said.
The UK Government will this weekend discuss changes to the rules surrounding the monarchy with the heads of Commonwealth states.
David Cameron is trying to build consensus that would allow first-born women to take the throne, and for monarchs to be allowed to marry Catholics.
But Mr Sarwar said the reform could go further.
“We live in the 21st century,” he said. “I have no problem with the monarch being a woman. I think that is something we should celebrate, So, of course we should change and I don’t think faith matters when it comes to who leads our country.”
He added: “I think people see past faith and colour and symbols and what they see is values. I don’t think people care what a person’s gender or faith is. What people care about is, does this person have the best interests of the country?”
In the past Prince Charles has mooted the idea that he would like to become a “defender of all faiths”, not just of the Church of England, when he ascends the throne.
But the UK Government position is that the monarch is also the head of the Church of England.
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