Relations between the Labour Government and the Church of England hit a new low this week after Anglican leaders led by Bishop Nigel McCulloch, of Manchester, accused Labour of being "morally corrupt" and "beguiled by money".

Bishop McCulloch described Gordon Brown's plan for Britain to borrow its way out of recession as "scandalous". The Bishops of Carlisle, Durham, Hulme, and Winchester also used interviews with the Sunday Telegraph to voice strong criticism of Labour's policies on the economy, poverty and social justice.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor rejected the Anglican bishops' views on BBC Radio Four's Today Programme, suggesting they were playing a "blame game."

Instead of blaming the Government for materialism and social problems, the cardinal said responsibility should be shared more widely. Ordinary people and churchmen also bear some of the blame, he said.

"If we are going to accuse people of immorality it is much further than the Government, it is the whole country," Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said. "I am not too happy with the blame game because if we say that there has to be a "conversion", then I always start with myself."

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