Deus nobiscum quis contra. The Catholic Lobby V The Gubment Round 2

BBC Online reports "Adoption decision 'due next week"

"Tony Blair (currently Prime Minister) has promised a decision next week on whether Catholic adoption agencies will be able to opt out of gay discrimination laws."

Whatever Tony says appears now, or even next week, to be redundant - maybe a lengthy (say 6 months) transition period , but "it is now clear that there will be no blanket exemption from the new Equality Act", says BBC Political Correspondent Nick Robinson - which let us face it, will affect perhaps 2/3 adoptions per year.

Read on ....Education Secretary Alan Johnson, second hand car salesman manqué, (and sad loser in the last fight with the Catholic Lobby) said any opt-out would mean "plain, simple discrimination". Mr Johnson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme:

"I don't think there's a way through that allows any exemption."

For which read the sub text - no way Ruth baby - not after the way you worked us over the opening up of faith schools.

Beautiful, elegant, sharp tongued and sharper elbowed Constitutional Affairs Minister Harriet Harman told the New Statesman magazine there was no scope for exemptions to the legislation.

"You can either be against discrimination or you can allow for it. You can't be a little bit against discrimination,"

For which read the sub text - no way Cherie baby - not after the way you worked us over the opening up of faith schools.

"Many ministers want to 'face down' the Catholic church" says Auld Nick - you bet. Lord Falconer of the Millennium Casino has trembled his enormous jowls at the prospect "it is extremely difficult to see how you can be excused from anti-discrimination law on the grounds of religion". Nose touching, man with the tan from the can , shifty eyed, Peter Hain the ambitious wannabe Deputy Leader (and maybe Chelsea Manager - is there no end to this lad's talents ?) recently introduced the same non - discriminatory regulations in Northern Ireland - which according to the Independent infuriated Mr Blair, absorbed in a possible fudge with Ruth Kelly - who has a lengthy Parliamentary history of failing to support ANY legislation which extended or supported homosexual rights. She has abstained in 12 votes on homosexual equal rights since 1997. (Guradian Tuesday May 9, 2006)

Devout Catholic, Home Secretary John Reid (his daughter married the son of a leading Glasgow drug dealer and gangster in Westminster Cathedral) and wannabe (and will be) Prime Minister has publicly declared non-discrimination must rule.

Surely the disproportionate backlash by Ministers and very public handwringing, has more to do with the Government's recent defeat at the hands of the Catholic Church over religious schools opening their doors than concern for adopted children or their putative homosexual adoptees.

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