Ministers lose religious hate bid

[bellinghman]

As noted here, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4664398.stm, it looks like Parliament is no longer Tony's bitch.

This time, it's the Commons that passed Lords amendments to the stupid bill on Religious Hate. Stupid not because the intent was wrong, but because the wording made any mockery of religion into a hate crime.

Comments

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

I'm particularly impressed with John McDonnell's quote about "democracy breaking out". Had MPs like McDonnell and the venerable Bob Marshall Andrews been in the majority in 1997 instead of the huge intake of bruschetta-eating lobby fodder, chances are I'd have still been a Labour Party member now. But sadly they're not, and that's why I'm a Lib Dem.

[knell.livejournal.com]

As you say, it was certainly a well-meant piece of legislation, but completely bollocksed up in the implementation. A bit like the Dangerous Dogs Act.

[lusercop.livejournal.com]

However, on the same day: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/news/2006/060111.asp

This scares me.

(The actual text of the bill is here.