A word on procedure: the Second Reading debate is intended to act as a ‘broad brush strokes’ debate, so no amendments will be voted on at this stage: that will have to wait until January, after Parliament returns from the Christmas break.

Lords Committee, where the crucial amendments will be discussed, will probably begin around the 14th of January, and carry on over the following two weeks. We’ll obviously let you know the key dates as and when they emerge.

Our campaign will nonetheless use the debate next week as an opportunity to give notice that we will be submitting amendments - both to lift the current ban on Civil Partnership Ceremonies from taking place in religious premises, and to remove the exemptions in the Equality Bill which continue to allow the persecution of gay members of the clergy. Details of these amendments to follow.

As you may have read already in the papers, our primary focus will be on lifting the current ban on Civil Partnership Ceremonies from taking place in religious buildings.

This is something that a lot of you had got in touch about, and something that we feel can easily be reversed by the Equality Bill. We will be working with Stonewall and others to ensure that we have the votes to get the amendment through.

Stay tuned for updates.

If you have any suggestions on anything to bring up, then please leave a comment here, post on our facebook page, or send an @reply on twitter to @equalitybill.com

I’ll update on how the meeting goes.

We will be beginning a liveblog of the debate in parliament, beginning at around 3pm on May 11th.

18:40 - Eleanor Laing is opposed to targets. Not sure that the bill really has anything to do with targets, so unsure why she’s bringing it up.  

18:37 - Eleanor Laing veers off-course, and says that the bill is just a rampant manifestation of Socialism. The Solicitor General laughs, and Laing gets feisty, telling her to make her point properly, “not from a sedentary postion…”. The SG stands, tells Laing to calm down, and sits.

18:33 - Eleanor Laing - contradiction in her argument. She says she wants to hold the government to account, she wants to dissect every bit of the law… and yet her party is voting against it outright, rather than debating it in committee.

18:32 - Eleanor Laing (Con) - supports ’simplification and consolidation’ of the law. She also welcomes the positive Equality Duty, saying it will go a long to to changing the cultural attitudes to Equality in all walks of life. She also says that Equality of Opportunity is a basic moral imperative.

18:31 - Desmond Turner (Lab) is still going! He talks about equality of goods and services, and how the bill ends discrimination on the grounds of sexuality on insurance.

18:15 - Desmond Turner (Lab) - Takes the floor. Says that given that the opposition had finally come around to the right view on sexuality, he is surprised by the heavy handed approach by the Conservatives (IE voting against outright).

18:10 - Tim Boswell (Con) - makes the first sensible point about the economic situation all day. In a time of difficulty, people are more prone to social unease. That’s the real question when it comes to making sure the law treats everyone equally.

18:09 - Tim Boswell (Con) - doesn’t sound like a man who will vote against the bill.

17:54 - Vera Baird (Solicitor General) points out that the bill does apply to the under-18s in every other respect, just not ‘age’.

17:51 - Julie Morgan (Lab) expresses her hope that the bill will be changed so that young people are included in the law. She says that young people feel slighted.

17:41 - Julie Morgan (Lab) Stands to support the bill. Mark Harper (Con) stands to argue that voting against the bill is the best way of showing their support for the bill……..

17:39 - Lynne Featherstone finishes by saying that equality legislation is the vanguard of change.

17:34 - Lynne Featherstone is the first person to bring up Trans rights. What about people who need protection, but who don’t fit into neat boxes, she asks? She also opposes the continuation of the blood ban.

17:33 - Lynne Featherstone thinks that re-working the NDRA

17:23 - Lynne Featherstone, LibDem: Wants pay audits to be brought in sooner, not later.

17:15 - Lynne Featherstone, LibDem: Argues that equality is the fire in the belly of the Liberal Democrat party.

17:11 - Patricia Hewitt (Lab) Makes a very strong defence of the SINGLE Equality Duty, arguing that some groups often feel left out of the ‘equality’ debate as a whole, citing working class white men and boys, and the example of white boys underachieving at school. Having a single, synoptic view of equality helps everyone be a part of the law.

17:05 - Patricia Hewitt (Lab) Supports the Equality Duty, and the simplification of law that it will bring.

17:00 - Patricia Hewitt expresses her shock that Conservatives are voting outright against the bill, rather than just ammending it in committee.

16:53 - Theresa May supports the age discrimination measures, but presses to ensure that ‘age-specific services’ are not included.

16:52 - Theresa May states her opposition to widespread positive discrimination.

16:46 - Theresa May argues that all-women shortlists aren’t acceptable.

16:45 - Parmjit Dhanda (Lab) Makes a strong argument against the Conservative proposals on equal pay and equality.

16:40 - Theresa May (Con) - Exposing the pay gay will set back the campaign for equal pay. Hang on, what?

16:38 - Evan Harris (LD) Argues that taxation policies are the best means of tackling wealth inequality. Does Theresa May have any tax policies other than abolishing IHT? Yes, says Theresa May. Marriage Incentives.

16:37 - Theresa May argues that you “can’t make any moves” unless the census data is accurate.

16:36 - Theresa May says that the bill is ill-thought out and last-minute. It doesn’t tackle root causes of inequality, like ‘family breakdown’, etc.

16:30 - Theresa May, Shadow Minister for Women, begins her speech.

16:29 - Harman finishes her speech and commends the bill to the house.

16:28 - Harman: This bill replaces a thicket of legislation (pointing at a huge pile of paper) with ‘This Act Here’ (holding up the bill, which is still pretty massive…). It is a simplification, which doesn’t require a highly-paid lawyer to understand.

16:24 - Evan Harris, LD - It’s controversial to extend the duty to religion, because of councils being forced to supply different religious groupings with different services. Harriet Harman - if Evan Harris is on the committee, then he will have the opportunity to change the law and add ammendments. But Harman doesn’t think that it will be necessary.

16:22 - Harriet Harman discusses homophobia and Gay Rights.

16:21 - David Taylor, Lab: How will this legislation specifically help the number of people with disabilities in public life? Harman: the speakers’ conference will be crucial to this.

16:20 - Jeremy Corbyn - Lab: Discrimination by Caste and Descent, from India in particular. Will this be covered? Harriet says it already is.

16:18 - Employment recruitment process, on health and disability grounds. It’s a hidden form of discrimination. Mental health problems are discriminated against too.

16:15 - Simon Hughes, can the elderly be assured that employment discrimination will also apply to them? Harriet Harman: YES.

16:14 - Harman: talks about discrimination against those who care for relatives.

16:13 - Harman: in 2012 we will review the NDRA.

16:13 - David Winnick, Lab: What about the injustice of the National Default Retirement Age at 65?

16:12 - Harriet Harman confirms that some exemptions will apply in the cases of the elderly, like free bus passes.

16:11 - Philip Davies, Con: Will there be unintended consequences for the Age Equality laws? Cheaper car insurance for the elderly, groups who provide for the elderly? No, says Harriet Harman. Nothing justifyable will be banned.

16:06 - Harriet Harman - Talks about employment tribunals, and introducing class-action lawsuits.

16:03 - Harriet Harman: Positive Action - we WILL allow employers to use Positive Action in the cases of two equally qualified candidates.

16:01 - Requiring something to be consulted on in the summer, when the legislation will go through before the summer? Does this mean we will be passing a law we don’t fully understand? No, says Harriet - because pay gap reporting will begin voluntarily.

16:00 - Lyn Brown, Lab: Concerned about so-called ‘gag-clauses’, preventing people from discussing their wages. Yes, says Harriet, the bill will change this. Information empowers people.

15:59 - Diane Abbott, Lab: The public would be surprised to see the Conservatives so agitated about the possiblity for Equality laws to be enacted. Especially since Equality will make us more competitive.

15:58 - Mark Pritchard, Con: He’s concerned that the Equality Bill is “a complete mockery”. Especially on Sharia Law.

15:57 - A lot of people on the Conservative Benches are jeering their way through the debate.

15:56 - Harman: There is still entrenched pay dsicrimination.

15:55 - Harman replies that the bill does contain positive action, and she will come back to the issue.

15:54 - Graham Brady, Con. - asks if, under the terms of the bill, an employer can choose a White Woman instead of a Black Man.

15:53 - That’s not a question for this bill. Language isn’t a type of discrimination covered. It’s about race, gender, sexuality, etc.

15:52 - Andrew Selous, Conservative, Bedfordshire South West - complains that some lower-paid jobs stipulate that applicants must be able to speak Polish.

15:51 - Fairness and Equality are essential to underpin a Meritocracy says Harman.

15:50 - Harriet Harman begins! Equality is essential for all, as a matter of principle and as a matter of practise.

15:46 - Speaker rejects the idea of using water canons agains the Tamil Protestors.

15:45 - Speaker takes points of order on the Tamil Protestors. He clearly feels that the “demonstrations” have gone on too long.

15:40 - Harriet Harman has just entered the Debate Chamber. Taking her seat right now for the Equality Bill debate.

15:37 - Speaker gives an impassioned defence of his decision to call the police. He tells Kate Hoey it’s all very well to talk to the press with soundbites, but a little harder to actually deal with the release of highly classified information.

15:32 - Speaker warns that someone capable of releasing expenses details may also have access to security details - home addresses, signatures, telephone numbers, passwords and so on. This is why they called in the police.

15:30 - Speaker Michael Martin is making a statement about the expenses row, arguing for ”the spirit of what is right” to be brought in. 

15:28 - As James Purnell’s ‘Work and Pensions Questions’ draws to a close, the debate chamber is beginning to fill up. Let’s hope they’re all here for the Equality Debate!

But the voices of cynicism were out in force – with the Conservative Party calling it “class warfare”, and wealthy business representatives calling it “unnecessary red tape”.

Unfortunately, these messages got through in the media this morning – with all the major news outlets discussing Class War and Red Tape, sometimes without even giving a mention to the benefits the bill will bring to LGBT, Racial, Gender, Disability and Age Equality.

But we know what this bill is really about.

And we can change this.

We can shape tonight’s coverage of the Equality Bill, and perhaps even get a mention on the evening news shows.

If you have a twitter account, click here now to tell Channel 4 news to up their game!

If you’ve seen coverage that doesn’t properly reflect the facts, then report them on the comment thread to this post.

And if you haven’t already, use the function right here to send an email to your MP. They’re watching the same news that we are, and a direct email from a constituent will send a far stronger message than any news broadcast.

Let’s get to work.

Thanks.

Can Lord Alli Save the Equality Bill?

Last week one of only three openly gay peers in the House of Lords launched a bold attempt to prevent history repeating itself.

Waheed Alli is collecting and marshalling public opinion in the hope of forcing the House of Lords, known as the place equality legislation goes to die, to pass the government’s upcoming Equality Bill.

However he may be in for a bigger battle than he expects. Opponents of the bill, organising themselves under the banner of economic competitiveness, are claiming that now is not the time to put further burdens on business. Troublingly, this argument could hold some sway, especially amongst those who know little of the issues, despite the fact it is glaringly false.

We hope to resolve it as soon as possible, so please be sure to come back later.

UPDATE: Everything’s working properly again now.

The Guardian: “Sign up to the Equality Debate”

“Harriet Harman’s landmark bill will only be effective if we have the widest possible public consultation on its detailed provisions”

Pink Paper: “Peer Creates Campaign Equality Site”

“A new website launched today by openly-gay peer Lord Waheed Ali aims to promote the Equality Bill by galvanizing the consensus of the queer community. In doing so, visitors of equalitybill.com will be more effectively able to lobby their MPs about the forthcoming Equality Bill by communicating directly with them. In turn, Lord Ali will present these opinions to the House of Lords later in the year when the Bill is brought up. ”

LGF Online: “Gay Equality? What needs to be done?”

“Don’t let the Damien McBride / Derek Draper online smear fiasco put you off online campaigning, Lord Alli’s website encourages all people to get involved and create change.

The website, EqualityBill.com, enables you to directly lobby your MPs and share your experiences of life in the LGBT community. Lord Alli spoke exclusively to LGF online, to give us a low down on The Equality Bill and what difference it will make to LGBT everyday lives.”

LabourList: “Why I’m setting up a campaign website”

“The Equality Bill that Harriet Harman is introducing to the Commons within the next few weeks will be a landmark piece of legislation. This is not because of any new rights it enshrines, or any old injustice that it overturns - though it will do both of those. It will be a landmark because it will finally unify all of the disparate laws that have accumulated over the last fifty years in the ongoing struggle for justice and equality.”

LabourList: “Why Online campaigning needs to be part of the legislative process”

“When Tim Montgomerie was developing the idea for ConservativeHome, he considered postponing the launch date until the Conservative Leadership Election was under way. The logic was that the site would only become an effective forum for debate if there were actually a serious debate going on within the party at the time.

Four years later, similar discussions have been taking place as the Labour Party looks at ways of improving its online operation. But I think the question for us is not about debate (important though it is) but about whether or not we have clear objectives. What do we want to achieve by improving our online campaigns?”

We can never claim to have true equality until the protection we offer a gay man against homophobia is the same as the protection we offer a black man against racism; unless our anti-discrimination laws recognise a disabled woman or a gay Asian as being members of more than one minority; or until everyone in our society fulfils their duty to ensure equality for everyone else – from teachers stopping bullying in schools to doctors rejecting ageism and treating the elderly with respect.

In short, Equality is not something that can come from the top-down. It must spread between us all in our day to day lives.

And that is what this bill does. It takes the battle lines away from the big flashpoint issues, and moves them into the everyday. For me, the question is no longer, “Can a gay couple get married and adopt?”, but “How does society treat that gay couple and their child?” The debate has moved from the registrar’s office and into wider society. It’s up to all of us to play our part.

That’s why I’m calling on everyone – whether you are a lifetime Equality Campaigner, or simply someone who has an opinion on the law – to join the discussion at EqualityBill.com. In the absence of a parliamentary constituency, I am asking you all to be my constituents.

The House of Lords has gained something of a reputation for being a place where equality legislation goes to die: whether it was the equalisation of the age of consent being stopped by Baroness Young in 1998, or the criminalisation of incitement to homophobic hatred being severely weakened by Lord Waddington in 2008. But I know from working in the House that it can also be a place where legislation goes to thrive.

My colleagues are dedicated and conscientious, and are committed to carefully scrutinising every line of every bill – and when the Equality Bill reaches the Lords later this year, I intend to be a key part of that scrutiny, using your feedback as my guide.

The details of our lives should dictate the details of the law – not the other way around.

That’s why I’m urging you to go now to EqualityBill.com; to sign up, lobby your MP, share your experiences, and become a part of the debate.