Short Predicts Equal Age Of Consent For Gays
Clare Short, the Secretary of State for International Development, has predicted that the age of consent for gay men will be lowered by a Labour dominated House of Commons.
Ms Short said the increase in the number of Labour MPs would carry the change.
The issue was put to a free vote in the last Parliament. Then MPs opted to reduce the age of consent for homosexuals from 21 to 18, but rejected lowering it to 16, the age at which heterosexuals can legally have sex.
Speaking on Channel 5 Ms Short said, "On the age of consent, we very nearly changed it on the last vote and overwhelmingly Labour MPs voted for a change. So just the increase in our numbers will carry that."
However, a spokeswoman for the Labour Party later made clear there was no
Government commitment to change the age of consent. Any proposal for change
would have to come from the backbenches.
Ms Short will also be using her Cabinet position to push for a more effective
women's unit in the Government.
"It's not over yet. Let's see. There's a small unit there that needs building
on and making more effective," she said.
Ms Short has also welcomed the increase in the number of women MPs. With over a 100 women MPs in the House almost one MP in five is now a woman.
"I think it will transform the House of Commons in a really healthy way. People will behave in a more natural way rather than as they do when they're
being football hooligans or public school pains-in-the-neck."
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