Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, is backing a new cross-party attempt by MPs to abolish Britain’s blasphemy laws, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
Lord Carey argues that the existing legal protections for Anglican Christianity are outdated and should be abolished. The move, supported by a former bishop as well as writers, academics, campaigners and comedians, comes in the wake of the diplomatic row over Sudan’s jailing of a British teacher who blasphemed against Islam.
Gillian Gibbons was jailed after allowing schoolchildren to name a teddybear after the prophet Mohammed. She was later pardoned after diplomatic protests from Britain.
In the Commons tomorrow, MPs will debate an amendment to the current Criminal Justice Bill that would effectively abolish existing legal protections for Anglican Christianity.
The amendment is being tabled by Evan Harris, a Liberal Democrat front-bencher, Frank Dobson, a former Labour cabinet minister, and David Wilshire, a Conservative backbencher.
As well as Lord Carey, they are supported by figures including Lord Harries of Pentregarth, the former Bishop of Oxford, in a letter in the Daily Telegraph today.
I’ve been listening to ‘Today in Parliament’ on Radio 4.
This amendment supported by 80 MPs [which in reality affects only the CofE] was brought up this evening. The government promised to bring the proposal back in other legislation if appropriate but said it wanted to consult the Church of England first. On that basis the amendment was withdrawn.