Minister scuppers gay pardon Bill
MPS trying to win a pardon for gay men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences were furious last night after a minister “hijacked” their plans.
The “Turing Bill” would pardon all living homosexuals and bisexuals convicted of crimes that are no longer on the statute books.
But Justice Minister Sam Gyimah managed to “talk out” a parliamentary debate to prevent a vote on the Bill brought forward by the SNP’s John Nicolson. The Government had announced plans for thousands of men to be posthumously pardoned.
But Mr Nicolson brought forward a private member’s Bill proposing an automatic pardon for the living, too.
Mr Gyimah rose to his feet with 25 minutes of the debate left but spoke until the allotted time limit ran out, denying MPs a vote on the plans. The minister was heckled, with shouts of “shame” from angry MPs as the seconds ticked down and proceedings came to an end.
Mr Nicolson accused the Government of attempting to “hijack” his plans, adding: “I have to ask the House, should we not prioritise the living over the dead?”
Debate on the Bill is set to resume on December 16 but is unlikely to progress without Government support.