Archbishop of York: Exclusive interview
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
25/07/2007

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, was in typically ebullient form last week when I spoke to him at Bishopthorpe, his medieval palace on the banks of the River Ouse near York.

In a wide-ranging interview, he expressed exasperation with aspects of the Government and the Church but also confidence in traditional British values of honesty and fairness.

Dr Sentamu, a former judge who was forced to flee the regime of Idi Amin, was particularly critical of the rising tide of bureaucracy and Government legislation and he questioned moves towards a written constitution.

"Britain has an unwritten constitution which hasn’t failed this nation once," he said. "Why is there a clamour for a written constitution?

"Why are people suggesting that writing one would make Britain a better place? I don’t believe it." the rest