A senior Catholic leader made a rare intervention into Britain’s pre-election political fray on Tuesday to back Prime Minister Tony Blair’s main opponent on the emotional issue of abortion.

Conservative leader Michael Howard told women’s magazine Cosmopolitan this week that he supported a reduction in the legal limit for abortion from 24 weeks of pregnancy to 20.

Blair was more circumspect, telling the magazine it was a “difficult issue,” that he had no plans to change the time limit but that debate would continue.

“The policy supported by Mr. Howard is one that we would also commend, on the way to a full abandonment of abortion,” the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, said in a statement.

“Pro-life” campaigners say medical advances have resulted in some babies born at around 24 weeks surviving in recent years.

Their opponents say a lower limit could force women into having children they do not want, particularly young women who may be not sure, or are unwilling to admit, they are pregnant.

Howard stressed it is a personal view. By convention, parliamentarians are given a free vote on issues like abortion.

But his intervention, ahead of an expected May 5 election, confirms a new-found ability to set the agenda, something that has strategists in Blair’s Labour party rattled.

U.S. President George W. Bush’s November re-election showed what a powerful issue pregnancy termination can be, although it has generally been less controversial in Britain.

Some post-election analyses showed “moral values” were the top issues cited by American voters with matters like gay marriage, gun ownership and abortion to the fore. Blair’s official spokesman made a bid on Tuesday to keep the debate out of party politics.

“The prime minister thinks it should be debated in a calm, rational and non-partisan way. Therefore it would be a pity if it became a party political or general election issue,” he said.

Murphy-O’Connor denied he was telling more than four million Catholics in England and Wales not to vote Labour.

“Catholicism in the UK is saying no such thing,” he told Sky Television. “I…am not supporting one party or another.”

Pope John Paul has waged an unflagging battle against abortion, contraception, pre-marital sex, divorce, homosexuality and the breakdown of traditional family values.

Blair’s wife Cherie is a practising Roman Catholic.

Cosmopolitan editor Sam Baker, who interviewed Blair, Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, said the Conservative leader had been brave enough to a raise an issue he knew would be unpopular with the magazine’s readers.

“The prime minister talked retrospectively, citing government policy achievements…while Howard and Kennedy went against type and gave answers, no matter how unpalatable,” she said.