Conversion therapy ban proposals are revived

After a short-lived delay, a conversion therapy ban now looks set to be pushed through the commons. The Government confirmed its plans in the wake of a failed attempt to amend the Online Safety Bill, which had raised concerns that online evangelism could be banned.

A draft bill is expected to be published shortly, but pre-legislative scrutiny could be limited. The culture secretary Michelle Donelan said it would be completed by the end of this parliamentary term, despite acknowledging that it is a complex area. The government said a ban would also cover conversion therapy for those who are transgender.

The authors of the Greater Love Declaration, which affirms Christian teaching on marriage, sex and identity and has been signed by more than 1,500 UK church leaders, have written to Rishi Sunak and equalities minister Kemi Badenoch warning that the legislation is ‘likely to criminalise innocent parents, teachers and church leaders’.