You can always tell that the forces of conservatism are on full tilt then they wheel out their beloved icon and former Prime Minister to vote in the Lords.
Yesterday, in a doomed attempt to block perfectly sensible proposals to allow same-sex couples to be recognised as the legal parents of children conceived through the use of donated sperm, eggs or embryos, Baroness Thatcher was seen wandering through the lobbies accompained by arch-acolytes such as Lord St John of Fawning and the skinhead Tebbit.
The proposal means that a lesbian lady who gives birth and her civil partner will both be recognised as the parents of a child conceived through assisted reproduction.
Two men will also be able to apply for a parental order to become parents of a child conceived through a surrogacy arrangement.
This modest change in the law is like a red rag to the homophobic bulls of our public life.
I suspect the hand of shady organisation the Christian Institute in the mobilisation of La Thatcher (she’s 82 and by all accounts her once powerful intellect is tragically denuded.)
What was heartening about last night’s Lords vote on the Embryology Bill was the kicking the "need for a father" brigade got – their amendment was defeated by 60-odd votes, which in Lords terms is a disaster.
The family values campaigners, who of course are attempting to weaken the tens of thousands of non-Waltons families that already exist in our country, pulled out all the stops and fell flat on their face.
It certainly seems to have put their nose out of joint – only a few hours ago, in a debate on the proposed new offence of incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation, one of the more … errr … colourful members of the House had a big rant about gays having too much influence on the government. Read all about it here.
It must be a dark time to be a member of a sect such as Christian Institute – like a sort of a reverse Midas touch. Everything they touch turns to turd.
Still, at least Jeebus is on their side. Or something.
This modest change in the law is like a red rag to the homophobic bulls of our public life.
I suspect the hand of shady organisation the Christian Institute in the mobilisation of La Thatcher (she’s 82 and by all accounts her once powerful intellect is tragically denuded.)
What was heartening about last night’s Lords vote on the Embryology Bill was the kicking the "need for a father" brigade got – their amendment was defeated by 60-odd votes, which in Lords terms is a disaster.
The family values campaigners, who of course are attempting to weaken the tens of thousands of non-Waltons families that already exist in our country, pulled out all the stops and fell flat on their face.
It certainly seems to have put their nose out of joint – only a few hours ago, in a debate on the proposed new offence of incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation, one of the more … errr … colourful members of the House had a big rant about gays having too much influence on the government. Read all about it here.
It must be a dark time to be a member of a sect such as Christian Institute – like a sort of a reverse Midas touch. Everything they touch turns to turd.
Still, at least Jeebus is on their side. Or something.
