Peter Luff MP protest over SORs

On Monday, Peter Luff MP made a strong protest in the House of Commons about the "breathtaking abuse" of Parliament in the Government's handling of the Sexual Orientations Regulations. Several other MPs also complained about the rushing through of the SORs. Commenting in a press release issued today, Peter Luff said:
“There are two quite separate issues here. First, are the regulations – which are complex– right in principle and in detail? Second, have they received proper parliamentary scrutiny?

“There is room for debate about these two rival freedoms - the freedom of religious people and organisations to apply their own moral code to difficult and sensitive decisions, and the rights of gay people not to be discriminated against. Both are genuine freedoms, but I am deeply concerned that the second freedom has taken absolute priority over the first without any debate in Parliament on a matter of such profound importance.

“With more time, a solution could have been found that removed discrimination and respected religious conviction - but the government was having none of that. It sought to impose its will in a breathtaking abuse of the spirit of parliamentary democracy. Yesterday parliament was diminished and important freedoms were trampled over in a worrying way. It was a sad day for people of all faiths whose deepest convictions were contemptuously dismissed by an arrogant government.”
Mr Luff was able to refer to "concerns raised by constituents" so well done to those in Mid Worcestershire who contacted him over the weekend.

If you want to check how your own MP voted, here is the relevant page in Hansard. If you go to the top of the page and click "previous section", you can read the various points of order that were raised.

Very pleased to see that, as ever, Derek Conway, MP for Sidcup and Old Bexley, was on our side, voting "No" to approving the Regulations.

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