Act of Settlement
The UK Government is working on a detailed plan to change or even scrap the Act of Settlement, which bans Roman Catholics from becoming king or queen and prevents the monarch from marrying a Catholic, according to a report in the Scottish newspaper, The Herald.
In an exclusive interview with the paper, Jim Murphy, the Scottish Secretary, revealed how Jack Straw, the Westminster Justice Secretary in overall charge of constitutional matters, is working behind the scenes to change a 307-year-old pillar of the British constitution, which is offensive to many Catholics and non-Catholics, who regard it as unfair and discriminatory.
Asked if the UK Government could come forward with a set of proposals to change the law before the next General Election, Mr Murphy said: ‘I’d like to see change. It’s important we make progress before the next election but the truth is it won’t be changed by then’.
