Don't make abortion a poll issue says Blair

A rattled Tony Blair today appealed for abortion not to become an election issue as it did in the US.

The Prime Minister's message came after the leader of Britain ' s six million Catholics, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, warned that Labour could no longer rely on them.

Mr Blair infuriated pro-life campaigners yesterday when he declared that he had no plans to look again at the abortion law because new curbs could "criminalise women".

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor piled on the pressure by backing Tory leader Michael Howard's call to cut the legal limit from 24 to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.

A Labour spokesman said Mr Blair wanted the debate on the issue to be "calm, rational and non-partisan".

"It would be a pity if it became a party political issue. The Catholic Church has a well-known position on this issue. It was one of a number of issues the cardinal mentioned and it should be taken in that context," he said.

The spokesman added Mr Blair did not want Britain to copy the US, where abortion is used to swing key seats.

Some 26 MPs from all parties today added their names to a Commons motion calling for the abortion limit to be cut to 18 weeks. The motion refers to new research highlighting the survival of a 24-week-old infant followed repeated abortion attempts.