Athiest Nick Clegg starstruck as he meets the Pope

Nick Clegg made a flying visit to Scotland to shake hands with the Pope.

Despite being an atheist, he was palpably starstruck.

"He seemed smaller and thinner than I expected," confided the Deputy Prime Minister. "He had a very kind expression on his face. He had a very modest air at a human level, that's how he came across to me.

"It was very exciting. Whatever your views of Catholicism, he is the leader of one of the great world religions. I can understand all the debates that are raging but we should be giving a very, very warm welcome to him."

Tomorrow morning, Mr Clegg, his wife Miriam and three sons (who, unlike him, are Catholics) hope for a private "few seconds" in London with the pontiff. "I'm not a man of faith myself," he says, but admits that religion exerts a slight pull. "I am fascinated by faith. Envious is the wrong word, but I think to have faith at all must be a wonderful thing.

"My mum's very religious, my grandmother on my father's side was a staunch Russian Orthodox, and my wife's a Catholic. Religion has always played a big role in my family."

He cannot, however, see himself like Tony Blair turning to prayer in a crisis. "I will sometimes cast my eyes upwards when my children are driving me around the bend — but I don't take politics seriously enough to fall to my knees."