An act of faith

		By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

George Carey's decision to retire early as archbishop of Canterbury may have landed Tony Blair with the problem of overseeing the succession.

But it may also have given him an opportunity to secure beyond all question his longed-for place in the history of Britain.

Could he live up to all his claims of radicalism and become the prime minister who finally disestablishes the Church of England?

Blair is deeply religious

First off it must be made plain that, whatever protestations come from Downing Street, it is Mr Blair who has the final say over who replaces Dr Carey.

The Crown Appointments Commission has the job of selecting a short list of two for the post, which is then submitted to Mr Blair.

But, not only does the prime minister appoint the chairman of the commission, he also has the right to reject both names and ask for alternatives.

This has led to the inevitable joke that the commission's job is to keep guessing until they come up with the right name.

And one of the deciding factors could be the candidates' views on the link between church and state.

Mr Blair is a deeply religious man and, although an Anglican, is drawn towards the Catholicism of his wife, Cherie.

Carey's retirement is an opportunity

Since 11 September he has also been at pains to stress that Britain is now a country of many faiths - an echo of the reports that Prince Charles might want to re-title himself Defender of the Faiths when (or is that if) he becomes King.

What better way to express that belief than to remove the Church of England's special and privileged status.

So an archbishop who is open minded on the issue might just find favour with the prime minister.

Any move would undoubtedly provoke uproar in Westminster with the predictable cries that it would mark the end of civilisation as we know it and herald the coming of the anti-Christ.

Many suspect, however, that the overwhelming majority of voters would be entirely untroubled by the suggestion. Who knows, it could even be a vote winner amongst those of different or no faiths

There would, of course, have to be some sort of payback for the church and the bishops whose seats in the Lords would be under threat.

One suggestion is that the government could offer to help with the upkeep of the estate.

It costs the church a fortune to maintain its underused buildings and all offers of help are gratefully received.

It is being suggested in some quarters that, if Dr Carey's successor sees the tide turning towards disestablishment, he could do worse than make a deal under which the church abandoned its position in return for an annual grant to maintain its estate.

It is a hugely radical and controversial idea which could cause the government severe problems.

But it would certainly do the trick for Mr Blair's ambition to leave his mark on the country.

Godlike

Sticking with the religious theme, there is a new joke doing the rounds in Westminster regarding the prime minister's globetrotting.

"What's the difference between Tony Blair and God?"

"While the Almighty is everywhere, Tony Blair is everywhere except Britain."

Sticking his neck out

Shadow Transport Minister Eric Pickles has a certain way with words that often leaves his colleagues wincing or, occasionally, sniggering.

Pickles and his neck

His latest clanger came during a weighty debate in Westminster about the future of London's crumbling underground system.

The Tory spokesman was banging on about how Labour had got it all wrong and declared: "I shall put my neck on the line..."

He would, of course, be perfectly safe if he laid his neck on any overground rail line, the greatest threat would come from exposure.

The right lines

In the very same debate Tory MP for Cities of London and Westminster, Mark Field, whinged that MPs from more far flung constituencies received allowances to use first class carriages.

"My constituency is entirely within zone 1 of the underground system," he complained while waving a dog-eared travel pass around.

This led to immediate claims that he had been pleading for first class carriages on the Tube.

Perhaps it's not such a bad idea. Maybe then the likes of Transport minister John Spellar might actually use the Underground at rush hour.

An even better idea might be to put a buffet on every train for those long lonely hours stuck in a tunnel 200 feet from your station.

Looking peachy

Annie's Bar, one of the most famous watering holes in the Palace of Westminster, used to be a must for journalists and MPs alike.

It was the only place where the two sides in the political game could get together on neutral turf and in conditions of complete secrecy.

There was an absolute ban on the reporting of anything that happened or was said in the bar.

As a result it was the perfect place for gaining insights into what was really going on in government and on the backbenches.

New Labour was having none of it, of course, and MPs were banned from entering the place. Only a handful of free thinking comrades ever used it and, inevitably, it fell into disuse.

The fact that it was relocated into what looks like a disused storm water drain didn't help.

But, over the Christmas holiday, Annie's was supposed to have been given a TV-style makeover and there will be a grand re-opening on Monday.

I have had a sneak preview of the new-look Annie's and, to be brutally frank, was less than impressed.

The only changes appear to be the addition of a few 20s-style wall lights in place of the old Stalag 5-style floodlights and a lick of paint in a rather nice pastel peach colour of the sort probably championed by the likes of Linda Barker - and that should go down well with the usual clientele.

Still it is the thought that counts and here's hoping that MPs and ministers will once again start enjoying the long-forgotten delights of mixing with political journalists.

Gossip

If you have any political gossip or information on what our MPs are up to, e-mail Nick Assinder (all mails will be treated as confidential).