THE ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury has called on all candidates at next year’s general election “not to play the race card”.

Archbishop Dr Rowan Williams said he had been “inspired” by his trip to Lancashire, where he met civic and religious leaders in Burnley, Blackburn and Preston.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, he insisted the Church was doing all it could to improve community relations and address far right political parties like the British National Party.

Dr Williams said Lancashire had “lots of challenges and diversity”.

Asked about community relations, with the recent Cantle Report into Blackburn labelling it one of the most divided towns in the country, he said: “There are two things here: A recognition of the problem, and a huge willingness to address it.

“The Church of England has been very fortunate having John Goddard [Bishop of Burnley] who has given himself 120 per cent.

"If the situation is not improving, it’s not trying.”

Faith schools, which Dr Williams has supported, are a major issue in East Lancashire with the prospect of two Muslim boarding schools for girls being built in Burnley and Brierfield.

And more faith schools are set to be created by the Building Schools for the Future shake-up.

He said: “It’s not faith schools that are the route of the problem.

“Divisions come about because of economics or a perceived sense of injustice. You do not address it by doing away with faith schools.

“It is horses for courses – there are very different situations.

“Sometimes communities need that to build their own confidence.

"But if it’s just about putting up the shutters it’s not going to work.”

He said the Church of England was trying to combat the far right by calling on all candidates at next year’s general election “not to play the race card”.

He added: “I think that will help.”

As he left, Dr Williams told the other guests: “I have been very moved by a lot of what I have seen.”

County council chairman Tony Jones said following the Archbishop’s visit to County Hall: “To get together the religious leaders, business leaders and civic leaders under one roof has been extremely useful.

“The Archbishop has had three different perspectives, and I am very proud of that.”