BRIAN Souter, the Stagecoach tycoon who became embroiled in the section 28 campaign over homosexuality yesterday launched an apparent attack on the Archbishop of Canterbury's support of openly gay clergy practising as priests in Anglican churches.

Mr Souter, who was the guest speaker at a charity business lunch at Glasgow City Chambers in aid of the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, began his comments after being mistakenly introduced as Sir Brian Stewart, the chairman of Scottish & Newcastle.

While that raised a laugh among the great and the good of the Scottish business community, Mr Souter's comments on Dr Rowan Williams raised eyebrows en masse at the lunch.

Mr Souter - who bankrolled the campaign against the repeal on the ban on the promotion of homosexuality in Scottish schools two years ago - told a variation of the old joke about the drunk man who approaches a person whom he believes to be a woman in a long robe to ask for a dance.

In Mr Souter's version of the tale, the person rejects the drunk's offer for three reasons.

Mr Souter told his audience: ''No, I will not dance with you - firstly, because this is the national anthem, secondly because you are drunk, and thirdly because I am the Archbishop of Canterbury.''

Then Mr Souter added: ''I wouldn't be surprised if the present Archbishop of Canterbury would be glad of a dance.''

Mr Souter could not be reached for comment after the lunch yesterday but spokesman for the Stagecoach chief said: ''It was a humorous speech with a few jokes. This was just a throwaway line and nothing should be read into it.''