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Harriet Harman, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Minister for Equality, has confirmed that the government will not force through amendments to the Equality Bill regarding religious organisations employ.
The amendments to the Equality Bill, which sought to clarify that groups such as churches could only discriminate against lesbian, gay or transgender candidates for jobs with aspects of spiritual leadership, for example, preachers, and not for lay jobs such as caretakers or accountants. The amendments were proposed as a counter allegations that some religious bodies were not been following the law and were discriminating against LGBT people when appointing staff.

The amendments passed before the House of Lords three times in January, where it was defeated each time. They also attracted attention from Pope Benedict XVI – due to visit the UK later this year – who commented that the proposals violate “natural law” and contravene the rights of religious groups.

Obsevers had expected Harman to force the proposals through the upper house, but in a statement in the Commons last week, she said that “the law will remain as it was,” meaning the bill will not be amended. Her retreat from the reforms is understood to be a reaction to the dissent of bishops in the Lords – many of whom agreed with Benedict’s statement - in the lead up to the Pope’s visit in September, the first visit to the UK by a pontiff since 1982, and the first ever state visit.

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