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Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Religious Hatred Bill

Government defeated by one vote, (Prime Minister failed to turn up......oops!)

Prime Minister Tony Blair, in an error of judgement, failed to appreciate the rising tide of opinion against certain clauses in the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, so he didn't bother turning out at the sound of the division bell yesterday. Consequently, his government lost another vote in the House of Commons following the defeat over anti-terror laws recently.

Protestors against the Bill were led by North-East comic Rowan Atkinson, better known as Mr. Bean or Blackadder. The entertainer has campaigned for months against clauses in the Bill which have been seen as an attack on our rights of free speech. In it's original form the Bill would have outlawed the telling of jokes which ridiculed religious or racial customs. These clauses were removed by votes in the House of Lords, but those on the Treasury Bench hoping to have them reinstated were in for a shock as many Labour MPs failed to vote. Many were away campaigning in a bye-election, and a handful rebelled against the party whip.

Questions are likely to be asked about the government's management of it's back benchers and of the inability of the Chief Whip, Hilary Armstrong, to deliver the votes. South Shields MP and Cabinet Minister David Miliband voted to keep the Bill in it's original form.

Link

The Times Online
BBC

# posted by Curly : 5:05 pm

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