Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

In an in-depth interview for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3, the former Prime Minister Tony Blair talks at length about how he chose to keep his religious beliefs out of his politics.

When Night Waves presenter Philip Dodd asks Tony Blair how he squares his existence as a Catholic with that of a progressive politician he answers: "I don't really".

However, he concedes: "you can't divorce your religious faith from how you are as a person" and acknowledges his Catholic affiliation guides and determines his moral character: "I've been going to mass for 25 years, my kids were brought up Catholic, my wife is Catholic so it just felt home to me."

He then goes on to say that as a leader of the country: "You can't ask God what to do" and that his decisions as Prime Minister were never driven by religion.

Discussing the Pope's visit he admits that recent child abuse scandals have overshadowed the good in the Catholic Church, going on to say: "Of course there is that dark side that has to be dealt with but it shouldn't obscure the immense good that the Catholic Church does and people of religious faith do."

Talking about the Middle East, Mr Blair argues that there are two competing narratives relating to Islam in the modern world. He maintains that one strand sees Muslims returning to their religious and cultural roots and the other sees them embracing the 21st Century, cultural modernisation and new forms of government.

The wide-ranging interview also includes an analysis of the global economic crisis, the movement of power from Europe to Asia and the concept of "liberal interventionism" with regards Iraq and Afghanistan. At one point, the two shared a joke after Karl Marx was brought up with Blair exclaiming: "This is definitely Radio 3!"

Tony Blair's interview with Philip Dodd can be heard in full on Radio 3's Night Waves on 16 September at 9.15pm

RK2