Justice Minister Sam Gyimah had been accused of ‘hijacking’ Turing’s Law (Picture: Sam Gyimah/Twitter)

There were cries of ‘shame’ in the House of Commons as a Conservative MP talked out an amendment to the law that would see gay men automatically pardoned for now abolished sexual offences.

Justice Minister Sam Gyimah filibustered the proposal presented by SNP MP John Nicolson, to ensure his plans were thrown out without a vote.

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Mr Gyimah had been accused of ‘hijacking’ Turing’s Law after he announced gay and bisexual men convicted of having consensual same-sex relationships would be posthumously pardoned.

But Mr Nicolson said the change to the Turing bill should ‘prioritise the living’ by automatically clearing the living of the outdated offences too.




The SNP amendment received support from Labour but was talked out by Mr Gyimah, ensuring it would fail.

It prompted a wave of criticism within the chamber and on social media.

I'm a Conservative voter but the behaviour of @SamGyimah over the #TuringBill is nothing short of a disgrace @wesstreeting @MrJohnNicolson — Mark Ellison (@mark_a_ellison) October 21, 2016

Tory minister @SamGyimah is attempting to filibuster the #TuringBill. My contempt for the Tories reaches a new low (if that's possible). — Alan Ferrier (@alanferrier) October 21, 2016

Mr Gyimah invited John Nicolson to work alongside the government (Picture: Getty)

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: ‘Shame on the Tories for this. Very proud of @MrJohnNicolson for bringing this Bill forward and speaking so movingly on it.’

Turing’s Law is named after Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing, who was given a posthumous pardon over his relationship with a man.

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Mr Nicolson said: ‘It does provide a blanket pardon for any gay man convicted of a crime which is no longer a crime.

‘The meaning of that is patently obvious. If the crime for which you were convicted is still a crime, by definition you are not pardoned.

‘The pardon confers no immediate advantage except this: It will, I hope, bring closure to those men who have had to thole monstrous, unfair criminal convictions for decades.’

#TuringBill falls in the Commons. Massive riddy for the right wingers, haters & homophobes. Massive pat on the back for @MrJohnNicolson — Johnny Pict (@johnnypict) October 21, 2016

Tories filibustering #TuringBill, they're homophobic as well as xenophobic & anti-democratic. They think a mandate is something on Grindr. — Paul Kavanagh (@weegingerdug) October 21, 2016

John Nicolson has been praised for his stance (Picture: John Nicolson/Twitter)

He said he believed the ‘vast majority’ of gay men with convictions would be satisfied with this ‘anonymous, private triumph’.

He was supported by Labour’s Chris Bryant, who gave an emotional speech praising the gay and bisexual MPs who ‘faced down’ Adolf Hitler, saying they and others should receive ‘something that feels like an apology’.

Currently, the law allows gay and bisexual men to clear their names via the Home Office, but Mr Nicolson’s amendment would have ensured this happened automatically.

Mr Gyimah urged Mr Nicolson to withdraw his Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc) Bill and to instead work with the government on its own plans.

He said: ‘As well as honouring the dead, the honourable member seeks a pardon for the living. We have developed a way to do this without giving any perception that the pardon covers perpetrators of sex with a minor or non-consensual sex.

‘What I would like to do today is to make a full and open offer to the honourable member to work with officials in the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office and Stonewall to give real effect to this pardon for the dead and the living as fairly and quickly as possible.’