London, Dec 28 : Leading bishops in the Church of England have launched a withering attack on the Government questioning the morality of its policies.

Five of the Church's most senior figures said the Brown Government now presided over a country suffering from family breakdown, an unhealthy reliance on debt and a growing divide between rich and poor, The Telegraph reported.

The Bishop of Manchester accused Labour of being "beguiled by money" and "morally corrupt".

The Bishop of Hulme said they were "morally suspect" and the Bishop of Durham said they had reneged on their promises.

They were joined by the bishops of Winchester and Carlisle who claimed ministers had squandered their opportunity to transform society and run out of steam, the paper reported.

The bishops said Labour sacrificed principled politics and long-term solutions for policies designed to win votes. One described the Government as "tired" and another said its policies were "scandalous".

Meanwhile, in an article for The Sunday Telegraph, opposition leader David Cameron accused Prime Minister Gordon Brown of leading Britain to the "brink of bankruptcy".

The Conservative leader said the "debt crisis", which he claimed was the Government's responsibility alone, would serve as the Prime Minister's "political epitaph".

Although they were speaking independently in a series of interviews with The Sunday Telegraph, the bishops' common criticisms reflect the deepening rift between the Government and the Church on social and moral issues.

Relations have become increasingly fractious following condemnation of Brown's spending plans by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the publication of a report that accused the Government of marginalising the Church.

In February, the General Synod, the Church's parliament, will hold a debate on the implications of the financial crisis that is expected to lead to heavy criticism of the Government. The Rt Rev Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, said ministers had not done enough to help the poor. (ANI)