Campaigners have condemned the Labour government’s continued delay in delivering a promised UK-wide ban on conversion practices, calling it “dangerous” and a signal that LGBTQ+ safety is “optional”. The Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition, representing LGBTQ+, faith and mental health organisations, issued a strongly worded statement urging immediate action.
Saba Ali, interim chair of the coalition, said: “Stop the delay and deliver the promise. It’s been seven years since a ban was first pledged, yet LGBT+ people are still being subjected to degrading, abusive practices while the government dithers. This failure to act is not just disappointing, it is dangerous. Every delay sends a message that our lives are negotiable, that our safety is optional.”
The coalition’s frustration follows repeated assurances from Labour sources that a trans-inclusive bill banning practices aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity would have progressed by spring. Previous Tory plans collapsed in 2022 amid moves to exclude trans people and concerns over an “informed consent” loophole. Campaigners now fear Labour is reluctant to engage after the Supreme Court ruling on biological sex and poor local election results, with reports that anxieties about Reform UK prompted shelving of gender recognition changes.
Ali called for “immediate, comprehensive legislation that bans all forms of conversion practices, without loopholes, without exemptions, and without leaving anyone behind”. This must include explicit protections for trans and non-binary people, criminalise promotion and practice in all settings, and provide support for survivors with an independent watchdog. A UK government spokesperson reiterated the commitment to a ban, stating: “Conversion practices are abuse – such acts have no place in society and must be stopped.”
The Scottish government recently scrapped its own standalone plans, opting instead to work with Westminster on a UK-wide ban. However, Scottish Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart warned that if the UK bill does not meet their priorities, Scotland will publish its own bill in the first year of the next parliamentary session. Blair Anderson of End Conversion Therapy Scotland called the decision to wait “doubly damaging”, urging the Scottish government to lead rather than let Westminster hold veto power over LGBTQ+ rights.
