CHURCH leaders lob a bombshell into the election campaign today, putting the spotlight on unemployment and accusing all the major parties of not doing enough to end poverty.

But while, in essence, improving the lot of the poor, the jobless, the low-paid and the homeless may be overlooked by the parties in their quest for middle-class votes - hence, taxation's role as a prime election issue - the grim fact is that this is what politics is about.

The Tories need the middle class to hold power, Labour needs them to gain power, as do the Liberal Democrats, for all their tax-raising altruism.

Nonetheless, the knee-jerk reaction from the politicians is that the churches have no right to get involved in politics or to point out the harm that policies do to large and largely-neglected sectors of the community.

They have every right - just as every other interest group has, be they trade unions, business groups or charities.

And having a much closer involvement with the community than many in the introspective world of Westminster, they are perhaps more aware of its real concerns.

The parties would do well to listen and pay heed.

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