“Iris Robinson will not be rebuked by Prime Minister Gordon Brown over her comments on homosexuality, Downing Street has said. Mrs Robinson described homosexuality as an abomination in a radio interview. Downing Street said there was no constitutional role for the PM to reprimand individual MPs. It said members are ‘accountable to their electorate for their own comments’.” [BBC]
Accountability.
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tallskin
What he says is constitutionally correct, but gordon brown is about as much use a chocolate teapot. We have got to replace him as labour leader before the next election otherwise we’ll have a tory govt again
Arghhhhhhh.
chuck
Would it be constitutionally correct to piss on her picture then? 😉
B Nesbitt
Ok, but…
Full response from http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16526-
“There is no constitutional role for the Prime Minister to reprimand individual Members of Parliament who are accountable to their electorate for their own comments.
The Government is committed to strong equality legislation in Northern Ireland and citizens in Northern Ireland are protected against discrimination on grounds of race, religious belief or political opinion, gender, sexual orientation, age or because of a disability. If anyone in Northern Ireland believes that they have been discriminated against on any of these grounds they may be able to bring a complaint to a tribunal or to a county court. Further details are available from the Equality Commission whose website is at http://www.equalityni.org.
In respect of sexual orientation specifically, the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 make it unlawful for employers and others to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation in the areas of employment, vocational training and further and higher education. The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (NI) 2006 extend the protection against discrimination to the provision of goods, facilities and services, the management and disposal of land or premises and the provision of education in schools.
In addition, section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires designated public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between 9 different groups: religious belief; political opinion; race or ethnic group; age; marital status; sexual orientation; gender; disability; and persons with dependants.Â
The Government’s vision is an equal, inclusive society in Northern Ireland, where everyone is treated with respect and where opportunity for all remains a priority.â€
office of the First and Deputy First Minister clearly states (on their site http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/index/equality/statutory-duty/section_75.htm)-
“Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998
Section 75 and Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 came into force on the 01 January 2000 and placed a statutory obligation on public authorities in carrying out their various functions relating to Northern Ireland, to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity –
between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation;
between men and women generally;
between persons with a disability and persons without; and
between persons with dependants and persons without.
In addition, without prejudice to this obligation, Public Authorities are also required to have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, and racial group.â€
I think they failed to have due regard to promote equality, as for opportunity, well I suppose she gave the opportunity to see he friend the psychiatrist lol!
“without prejudice to this obligation,†well, c’mon! Surely she tripped over this one, no??
I really posted this for others, certain people, *cough* Bill Perdue, *cough* M Shane, don’t have a clue about NI, hope its at least interesting. (: