“Yes”: Government ‘completely rules out’ introducing blasphemy laws

The National Secular Society has welcomed an unequivocal statement from the Government that it will not introduce blasphemy laws.

The statement follows a call from a Labour MP during Prime Minister's Questions in November to prohibit the "desecration" of religious texts and figures.

Tahir Ali, MP for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley, asked Keir Starmer to "commit to introducing measures to prohibit the desecration of all religious texts and the prophets of the Abrahamic religions".

In response, Starmer said he would tackle "Islamophobia in all its forms", describing "desecration" as "awful" and urging it to be "condemned across the house".

His failure to rule out the blasphemy laws proposed by Ali sparked widespread concern, including from the NSS. Shortly after Ali's question, the NSS wrote to communities minister Wajid Khan asking the Government to reject this call.

"This is the land of 'Monty Python's Life of Brian' after all

During a debate yesterday on discrimination against ethnic minorities, Conservative MP John Cooper said he was "astonished" that Starmer "did not take the opportunity to definitively rule out blasphemy laws, which have no place in modern British society".

He added: "This is the land of 'Monty Python's Life of Brian' after all".

He asked Seema Malhotra, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities, if she would "take the opportunity to do what the Prime Minister would not by completely ruling out the introduction of blasphemy laws?"

Malhotra simply replied, "Yes".

In the same debate, Labour MP and chair of the Women and Equalities Committee Sarah Owen called for an "agreed definition of 'Islamophobia'" which "understands its impact on Muslim women".

In opposition, the Labour Party adopted a contentious definition of 'Islamophobia' criticised by free speech campaigners for its potential to chill speech about Islam. Many campaigners have said its adoption could amount to a 'back door' blasphemy law. The definition was rejected by the Government in September due to perceived conflicts with equality law.

Blasphemy laws were abolished in England and Wales in 2008, and in Scotland this year. Blasphemy offences remain on the books in Northern Ireland; the NSS is campaigning for their repeal.

NSS: Government must not "introduce blasphemy laws by the 'back door'"

NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "We welcome this direct and unequivocal rejection of blasphemy laws from a government minister.

"John Cooper is right: blasphemy laws have no place in Britain, or anywhere else.

"But the Government must ensure it does not inadvertently introduce blasphemy laws by the 'back door', by adopting strategies to counter anti-Muslim bigotry which target criticism of Islam.

"It's essential we end hate and violence targeting particular communities. But restricting free speech around religion can never be a legitimate or effective means of doing this. Freedom to criticise ideas, religious or not, is a right which must be protected for people from all communities."