There’s an in-depth interview with David Heath MP, Lib Dem shadow secretary of state for justice, in Pink News – you can read it in full here. Around half of it is devoted to exploring the Lib Dem stance on the proposed new offence of incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.
The other half covers more varied ground, including David’s take on Ming Campbell’s resignation, whether he’s worried by David Cameron (he has a wafer-thin majority over the Tories), and what it’s like to be the only optician – ever – in the Commons.
Elsewhere, Pink News looks at the support of MPs, including the Lib Dems’ Colin Breed and Alan Beith, for an amendment to the incitement legislation which would specifically exempt “criticism of or expressions of antipathy towards, conduct relating to a particular sexual orientation”.
Mr Breed is quoted telling the Cornish Guardian:
“We want to stop this law so the government will see that when the motion comes forward to accept this law, they will heed our proposed changes and amend it.”
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10 Comments
Breeeeeed for cornwall!
“The one thing I would rule out and our party rules out is an English parliament.”
Hopefully that comment will be enough to lose him his wafer thin majority.
Breed has form in this area – he voted against repeal of section 28.
It’s time for the new leader to have a quiet word with him and suggest that he may be better serving the party in other areas than Parliament.
“It’s time for the new leader to have a quiet word with him and suggest that he may be better serving the party in other areas than Parliament.
”
He already said he will retire at next GE
2. I fail to see why the Celtic People of Cornwall would be the slightest bit interested in an English Parliament!
Shame that an MP of evident integrity such as Alan Beith should be inpuned in this way.
It sounds a perfectly sensible compromise option.
However, given the growing strength of the homosexual lobby within the party, probably the most honest thing people of this view would be to resign the party whip and take issues on a case by case basis.
Breed’s been allowed too much latitude in this area for too long, regardless of whether there’s a ‘homosexual lobby’ at work in the LIBERAL democrats. You’re either liberal or you’re not; he’s not, but he’s going soon and we don’t expect better from him, frankly. He thinks he’s going to heaven for acting as he does, so, hey ho.
Am very sorry that Alan Beith’s decided to support hate-filled public taunting of gay guys and girls though. What’s that about?
sadly, it seems that both Breed and Beith will still be supporting the christians amendment tomorrow. Am very disappointed at this.
In the end 4 LDs supported that amendment: Beith, Breed, Farron and Mullholland
9 – thanks for this – I’m not surprised by the first two, but the last two really ought to know better (even if they come from dodgy religious backgrounds).
I also hadn’t realised Breed was stepping down. Just a shame he ‘stepped up’ in the first place as he has been one of the most illiberal MPs on social issues …