Wednesday 25 November 2009

A show of solidarity needed!

This is just a very quick post because the following written question caught my eye just now when I was cutting and pasting from the Order Paper for tomorrow's PMQs. A good example of a backbench MP taking up a really important issue which might otherwise go unnoticed.

Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the Ugandan government on its proposed legislation to (a) increase penalties for homosexuality and (b) introduce the death sentence for HIV positive homosexuals.

Disturbing news... I'll be keeping an eye out for David Miliband's response. I hope it's robust.

1 comment:

Steven_L said...

How does this play with the position of Dr Sam Zaramba, Executive Chairman of the WHO and Director-General of Health Services in Uganda, then?

In fairness, he has spoken out against this kind of extreme homophobia, but should be not beg the question why our Department of Health are forcing thorugh a ban on point of sale cigarette displays in accordance with a WHO treaty overseen by this man?

If the executive of the WHO is made up of people who are on thew payroll of countries that propose (or have in some cases implemented) unthinkable legislation like this should the requirements of their smoking treaty not be put to the British electorate?

I seem to remember Boris suggesting this in the run up to the Mayoral election only to suddenly and inexplicably to retract the statement.

Was the campaign office of a politican standing for deomocratic election threatened by an unelected member of the anti-smoking lobby working for an organisation funded by the civil servants at the D of H?

Will any politican dare stand up for us smokers against these people and their corporatist-come-fascist way of doing things?