Rishi Sunak will push ahead with long-delayed plans to ban gay and trans conversion practices after Conservative whips warned MPs could rebel if they failed to do so.
The prime minister will include a draft bill banning conversion practices in the king’s speech, government sources confirmed, after the move was first revealed by the Times.
Campaigners had feared the government had left it too late to include such a bill in next month’s package of legislation, despite Theresa May having first promised to introduce one in 2018.
Senior Tories have been worried about splitting the party on the issue, with some MPs concerned that a ban on trans conversion practices could unintentionally criminalise parents or teachers who give advice to children struggling with their gender identities.
Downing Street was concerned that the legislation was unnecessary given some conversion practices are already unlawful, and it could divide the party not long before an election. However, other MPs have told party whips they would rebel if no legislation was forthcoming, potentially by forcing amendments on to the police and crime bill to bring a ban into place instead.
The Times reported that some ministers had warned the prime minister the party was at risk of losing votes within the LGBTQ+ community, especially after Suella Braverman’s comments at the party conference, where the home secretary said asylum seekers were pretending to be gay to game the system. The paper added that some even said they would quit if Sunak failed to follow through with a ban.
A Downing Street spokesperson said on Thursday they would not comment on the possibility of the bill being introduced in the king’s speech, though they added they would provide an update “in due course”. The person added: “You’ve heard us talk before about the abhorrent nature of so-called conversion therapy [and] that no one should be harmed or harassed for who they are.”
The draft bill will delight campaigners who have pushed for years for legislation to explicitly ban conversion practices.
Government research has found 7% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced some form of conversion practice. Campaigners say it can drive people into depression and to suicide. Human rights lawyers and experts have said such practices are degrading and harmful and should not be tolerated.
May first promised to ban conversion practices in 2018, saying: “No one should ever have to hide who they are or who they love.”
The issue caused problems for Boris Johnson, who at one point last year U-turned twice on the policy in the space of 24 hours.
Johnson went into the 2019 election with a pledge to legislate for a ban and included a bill to do so in the 2021 queen’s speech. In 2022, however, he dropped it amid concern about the knock-on effect for those offering counselling to children with worries about their gender.
He then changed his decision within hours after a backlash from campaigners and some of his MPs and he restored the pledge to ban the practice, while also saying he would seek to split gay from trans conversion practices.
Caroline Nokes, the Conservative chair of the Commons women and equalities select committee,said the move was “excellent news”. She said: “Conversion therapy is abhorrent and we must move to stop people suffering from horrendous practices which simply cannot ever be described as therapy.”
