Harriet Harman, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, has backed down against forcing religious leaders to implement equality on who they can employ via legislation.
The news comes just days after the Pope claimed the Equality Bill promotes discrimination against religious communities, by forcing them to hire gay, lesbian or bisexual staff in non-liturgical posts - despite being law since 2003.
His diatribe, coupled with recent opposition in the Lords, means that Harman - the Equalities Minister - will no longer fight our corner on the issue.
“We have never insisted on nondiscrimination legislation applying to religious
jobs, such as being a vicar, a bishop, an imam or a rabbi,” she said today.
“Religious organisations can decide themselves how to do that. However, when
it comes to non-religious jobs, those organisations must comply with the
law. We thought that it would be helpful for everyone involved to clarify
the law, and that is what the amendment ... aimed to do. That amendment was
rejected, so the law remains as it was.”
Although Harman made no mention of the Pope’s visit to Britain this year,
it is understood that the Government did not want the dispute to overshadow
preparations.
Despite prompting outrage from the likes of Peter Tatchell, the Pope's comments have also gained support. Writing in The Times today, Lord Sacks, the Chief
Rabbi, says: “There are times when human rights become human wrongs ... a
political ideology, relentlessly trampling down everything in their path.
This is happening increasingly in Britain, and it is why the Pope’s protest
against the Equality Bill ... should be taken seriously.”
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, responded by stating that the gay rights organisation would support people who wanted to legally challenge discrimination by religious establishments. “If any church dismisses someone from a
non-liturgical role, such as a youth worker or a press officer, we will
support their case,” he said.
George Broadhead, from the Pink Triangle Trust, told PinkPaper.com: "This abject climb-down has obviously been prompted by the Pope's recent criticism of the pro-gay clause in the Bill and is a clear indication, if any were needed, of the continuing malign political influence exerted by the Catholic Church."