Saturday 17 October 2009

The Surviving Supporters Of Clause 28 Of The Local Government Bill

An idea from Bill Cameron

On December 15th 1987, the last debate at which amendments could have been made to the infamous Clause/Section 28/2a occurred. At this election 309 MPs voted to keep it as it was:

Prohibition on promoting homosexuality by teaching or by publishing material
(1)The following section shall be inserted after section 2 of the [1986 c. 10.] Local Government Act 1986 (prohibition of political publicity)—
“2AProhibition on promoting homosexuality by teaching or by publishing material
(1)A local authority shall not—
(a)intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality;
(b)promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.
(2)Nothing in subsection (1) above shall be taken to prohibit the doing of anything for the purpose of treating or preventing the spread of disease.
(3)In any proceedings in connection with the application of this section a court shall draw such inferences as to the intention of the local authority as may reasonably be drawn from the evidence before it.
(4)In subsection (1)(b) above “maintained school” means,—
(a)in England and Wales, a county school, voluntary school, nursery school or special school, within the meaning of the Education Act 1944; and
(b)in Scotland, a public school, nursery school or special school, within the meaning of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.”
(2)This section shall come into force at the end of the period of two months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.
There are still 51 of those people in elected public office. 48 MPs and 3 MEPs, all Tory MPs at the time (one is now a Labour MP and the other, to my great disappointment, is now a Lib Dem MEP). Most got the chop in the 1992 and 1997 election.

That's 25% of the current sitting Conservative grouping in the House of Parliament. The Conservative party may have changed (and I would debate that) but I'm quite sure these people have not. We should not allow them to forget their previous records.

This list does not include Lords who voted for the Clause or against amendments to it nor those MPs who have since become Life Peers.

MPs

David Amess: Tory MP for Southend West. Like Wilshire, he's been having a spot of bother with his expenses claims. His majority, though, is very large and even if the Lib Dem and Labour vote were combined he'd still win.

James Arbuthnot: Tory MP for North East Hampshire. Again this majority seems insurmountable.

Julian Brazier: Tory MP for Canterbury. This is another big majority.

Simon Burns: Tory MP for West Chelmsford. Yet another large majority, and the only controversy seems to be a recent conviction for careless driving.

Tony Baldry: Tory MP for Banbury. Yet another huge majority.

Alistair Burt: Tory MP for North East Bedfordshire. Another big majority.

John Butterfill: Tory MP for Bournemouth West. He will not be seeking re-election possibly because of some rather messy expenses claims reported in the Daily Telegraph.

Henry Bellingham: Tory MP for North West Norfolk. Quelle surprise... it's another large majority.

Bill Cash: Tory MP for Stone. Bill Cash has made a lot of noise about being exonerated from his expenses problems, but no news on him being exonerated for his support of illiberal and regressive pieces of legislation in the 1980s.

Christopher Chope: Tory MP for Christchurch. Whilst his majority is huge, he did get a little trouble following some ill advised comments on the minimum wage shortly before the expenses scandal hit.

Kenneth Clarke: Tory MP for Rushcliffe. As you can imagine, I doubt he'll be going anywhere any time soon!

Tim Boswell: Tory MP for Daventry. He will be standing down at the next election.

Peter Bottomley: Tory MP for Worthing West. Another big majority.

Patrick Cormack: Tory MP for South Staffordshire. An overwealming majority, but he has received a request to pay back some of his expenses.

Quentin Davies: Labour (but at the time Tory) MP for Grantham and Stamford. He has had his own issues with expenses.

Robert Key: Tory MP for Salisbury. Relatively safe majority.

David Davis: Tory MP for Haltemprice and Howden. Famously in favour of civil liberties, yet his voting record suggests he isn't too concerned about progressive issues.

Stephen Dorrell: Tory MP for Charnwood. Secure majority.

Greg Knight: Tory MP for East Yorkshire, his majority seems secure too. Alas.

Michael Fallon: Tory MP for Sevenoaks. This is Sevenoaks, the day they don't elect a Tory MP is the day I'll finally have my faith restored in humanity. It's a long shot.

Peter Lilley: Tory MP for Hitchin and Harpenden. Secure, as per usual.

Michael Lord: Tory MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich. Standing down at the next election.

Andrew MacKay: Tory MP for Bracknell. Due to the expenses scandal he will be standing down at the next election.

David Maclean: Tory MP for Penrith and the Border. Standing down at the next election due to failing health.

Patrick McLoughlin: Tory MP for West Derbyshire. Secure. Worryingly he is the Shadow Chief Whip!

Roger Gale: Tory MP for North Thanet. Like's capital punishment, but is keen on animal welfare. Conflicting messages there.

Humfrey Malins: Tory MP for Woking. He is standing down at the next election.

John Maples: Tory MP for Stratford-Upon-Avon. He probably won't be going anywhere.

Francis Maude: Tory MP for Horsham. Another big hitter, likely to be in any future cabinet of a Conservative Government.

John Greenway: Tory MP for Ryedale. Another safe seat.

Andrew Mitchell: Tory MP for Sutton Coldfield. Is a Shadow Minister.

Malcolm Moss: Tory MP for North East Cambridgeshire. Another strong majority.

David Heathcoat-Amory: Tory MP for Wells. Majority is very slim.

Douglas Hogg: Tory MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham. Large majority. But standing down at the next election!

James Paice: Tory MP for South East Cambridgeshire. Double digit majority.

Michael Howard: Tory MP for Folkestone and Hythe (my home town!). He is standing down at the next election.

Gerald Howarth: Tory MP for Aldershot. Another Shadow Minister and has a double digit majority.

Michael Jack: Tory MP for Flyde. Standing down at the next election.

John Redwood: Tory MP for Wokingham. Large majority.

David Tredinnick: Tory MP for Bosworth. Has a huge majority but also seems to favour alternative therapies. Which is worrying.

Richard Shepherd: Tory MP for Aldridge-Brownhills. Double digit majority.

Nicholas Soames: Tory MP for Mid Sussex. Controversial MP. Double digit majority.

Ann Widdecombe: Tory MP for Maidstone and The Weald. Standing down at the next election.

Michael Spicer: Tory MP for West Worcestershire. Slim majority and standing down at the next election.

Ann Winterton: Tory MP for Congleton. Standing down at the next election following some infamous expenses claims.

Anthony Steen: Tory MP for Totnes. Standing down at the next election, yet enough "victim" of the expenses scandal.

Tim Yeo: Tory MP for South Suffolk. Double digit majority.

Peter Tapsell: Tory MP for Louth and Horncastle. Large majority.

Ian Taylor: Tory MP for Esher and Walton. Standing down at the next election.

MEPs

Robert Atkins - Former Tory MP who now sits as an MEP for the North West England constituency.

Timothy Kirkhope: Former Tory MP who now sits as an MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber

Emma Nicholson: Former Tory MP but now Lib Dem MEP for South East England.

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1 comment:

Bill said...

Well done, Jae.