Blair: Cherie was the reason I became a Catholic

Tony Blair has spoken in detail for the first time about his conversion to Catholicism — and revealed his wife was the driver behind the switch.

The former Prime Minister, who now runs The Tony Blair Faith Foundation, switched from the Church of England to Roman Catholicism two years ago.

Mr Blair, who was once famously warned by spin doctor Alastair Campbell "we don't do God", decided it was impossible for him to convert until after he left Downing Street.

Last night, he told a religious conference in Italy that wife Cherie was the real reason for his conversion.

Mr Blair, who waived his fee for the speech as it was a religious event, described the move as "coming home" and said "this is now where my heart is".

He told the Communion and Liberation meeting in the Italian seaside resort of Rimini: "Frankly this all began with my wife. I began to go to Mass and we went together. We could have gone to an Anglican or Catholic church — guess who won ?"

He went on: "But as time went on, I had been going to Mass for a long time... it's difficult to find the right words. I felt this was right for me. There was something, not just about the doctrine of the Church, but of the universal nature of the Catholic Church."

He told the delegates of how he had been to Mass in several countries in the past few weeks and described an incident at the end of a service in Tokyo where he had been asked to stand up and talk about himself.

He said: "For the first time in a long while I was able to stand up and tell a crowd of Japanese, I'm Tony and I'm from London'."

Mr Blair, who began his speech in Italian, said: "It is a pleasure always to be in Italy. It is here in this country that I have spent many happy times and where 30 years ago, almost to the day, I proposed to my wife and three decades and four children later, I at least am still pleased to recall the memory.

"Ever since I began preparations to become a Catholic I felt I was coming home and this is now where my heart is, where I know I belong."

In his speech entitled "Person, Community and State", he made a brief reference to his own journey from popular Opposition leader to heavily-criticised premier.

"As Prime Minister of the UK for 10 years, but also as leader of the Labour Party for 13, during which time I reformed its constitution precisely around the relationship between the individual and the state, I learnt many things.

"I began hoping to please all of the people all of the time; and ended wondering if I was pleasing any of the people any of the time. But that's another story.

"In my foundation — dedicated to respect and understanding between the religious faiths — I always say clearly I am and remain a Christian, seeking salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ."