Pressures from several directions may put disestablishment of the Church of England back on the agenda, say reports following the General Synod and concerns about the long term impact of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Sharia speech.

Rowan Williams clarified the nub of his thinking and showed contrition for clumsiness, but he declined to apologise and is not off the hook, say commentators and other public figures today, amid calls for disestablishment.

"There is no dispute about our common allegiance to the law of the land" Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams told the General Synod of the Church of England - and a watching world on TV and the internet - this afternoon.

A priminent Labour MP, speaking on behalf of the Christian Socialist Movement, has condemned the "hysterical and largely uninformed media response" to Archbishop Rowan Williams' lecture on civil and religious law in Britain.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is panicking over the demise of organised Christianity’s power and influence in society and seeking a multi-faith settlement to address these concerns, a TV discussion programme heard today.