Govt pledges draft conversion therapy Bill in King’s Speech

The Westminster Government has confirmed in the King’s Speech that a draft ‘conversion practices’ Bill for England and Wales remains on the legislative agenda.

This is a carry-over commitment from the July 2024 King’s Speech, when the newly elected Labour Government pledged to publish a draft Bill before the end of the parliamentary session – a promise that went unfulfilled.

In the accompanying briefing notes, the Government says:

“the ban must be balanced and targeted, so as not to impinge on legitimate healthcare and the range of broader support that those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity might seek or receive. It is also not intended to interfere with people’s right to religious belief and expression.”

However well-intentioned these assurances may be, legal advice remains clear that any extension of the criminal law risks criminalising ordinary Christian ministry, parental guidance and medical advice that does not affirm an individual’s self-declared identity. This is well-founded, considering Equalities Minister Olivia Bailey’s statement that conversion therapy is ‘telling LGBT people their identity is wrong’.

This is now the fourth Queen’s/King’s Speech to feature a proposed conversion therapy ban and yet no Government has been able to deliver on it.

The challenge of producing legislation that does not criminalise free speech and religious practice saw the previous Conservative Government reach an impasse. And it’s clear that this Government too has encountered all of the same difficulties. According to ITV, the Government came close to publishing a draft Bill last July, but halted publication over concerns around parental guidance and religious freedom.

The decision to publish a Bill in ‘draft’ form is a welcome one, as it allows for consultation and scrutiny before legislation is formally introduced to Parliament. It shows the Government recognises that legislation of this sort cannot be railroaded through.

Let Us Pray’s Joanna Timm was quoted in The Daily Mail:

 “There are already robust protections in law against abuse and coercion. Legal advice is clear that expanding the current law risks criminalising things that should never be made illegal – such as a mother urging her gender-confused daughter not to have a double mastectomy, or a church leader praying with a member of their congregation who asks for prayer about sexual temptation.”

The start of a new session was an opportunity for the Government to call time on these deeply divisive plans, so it is disappointing that it is continuing down this path. In anticipation of draft legislation, we must continue to make the case that existing law is already sufficient to address genuine cases of abuse and that a ‘trans-inclusive ban’ would endanger the free speech of ordinary people.