‘My faith is my own business’
SNP candidate David Kerr yesterday called for religion to be left out of the Glasgow North East by-election.
He made the plea after it was revealed he is a member of the conservative Catholic group, Opus Dei.
Murdo Fraser, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, questioned whether it was appropriate that a candidate should be a member of a “secretive” and “hardline” organisation.
Opus Dei follows the strict Vatican line on controversial subjects such as abortion, contraception, embryo research and cloning.
Kerr, a former BBC journalist, who has been an outspoken defender of the Catholic church, could now be challenged over how he stands on difficult moral issues.
He has denied he would be unable to represent homosexual constituents or those seeking abortion, saying: “Obviously, there are some matters of conscience where MPs have the right to make up their own minds. People know where I would position myself.”
But Richard Baker, Scottish Labour’s Justice spokesman said: “There has been a lot of coverage about Opus Dei. I am sure it will be be a cause for people to have questions about Mr Kerr’s views.”
In response, Mr Kerr said: “My faith is a personal matter, and religion has no part to play in this or any other campaign.”