THERE was widespread anger in the House of Commons as the Government talked out the Turing bill, which would automatically pardon gay men convicted of now abolished sexual offences.

MPs shouted 'shame' and 'shameful' as Justice Minister Sam Gyimah killed off SNP MP John Nicolson's private members bill.

4 Alan Turing was given a royal posthumous pardon and now Theresa May's Government is looking at legislation to pardon 49,000 other men Credit: BBC

The Government has announced plans for thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of crimes which are no longer on the statute books to be posthumously pardoned, but Mr Nicolson's bill proposed an automatic pardon for the living too.

This was not backed by the Government as it was said to be concerned Mr Nicolson's bill would pardon those who have committed offences that are still illegal today.

But Mr Nicolson and other MPs argued his bill specifically states that if the crime for which one was convicted is still illegal at the time of the bill (ie. today) then there will no pardon.

If the Government's amendment - to the Police and Crime Bill - is passed then those who are still alive will not be automatically pardoned. Instead they will have to apply, which MPs stated would be "very distressing to victims".

Labour’s Chris Bryant was close to tears during the House of Commons debate as he urged the Government to go further in pardoning gay men convicted of now abolished sexual offences.

The former minister recalled gay and bisexual MPs who "faced down" Adolf Hitler, insisting they and others should receive "something that feels like an apology".

Tory former justice minister Crispin Blunt also warned the Government's proposals do not have the desired "symbolic effect", while party colleague Nigel Adams labelled the behaviour of ministers as "a little bit slippery".

The Government has been accused of trying to "hijack" the so-called Turing's Law after it announced yesterday its plan for posthumous pardons.

4 Chris Bryant gave an emotional speech during the debate in the House of Commons saying the Alan Turing law needs to go much further Credit: parliamentlive.tv

4 SNP MP John Nicolson has introduced a private members bill to pardon all gay men convicted of now abolished sexual offences Credit: parliamentlive.tv

Mr Nicolson was urged by Justice Minister Sam Gyimah to withdraw his Bill as it received its second reading in the Commons and to instead work with the Government on its own plans.

But Mr Bryant said Mr Nicolson's proposal should progress, before explaining how MPs Ronald Cartland, Robert Bernays, Victor Cazalet, Jack Macnamara and Anthony Muirhead were among those who campaigned against appeasement of Nazi Germany.

He said: "Several honourable members have referred to the fact that this might be called the Turing Bill.

"I don't want to call it the Turing Bill. I want to call it the Cartland, Macnamara, Muirhead..."

Mr Bryant paused, close to tears, before continuing: "Bernays, Cazalet Bill."

He explained the actions of the MPs before adding: "It is my very, very strong belief that if it hadn't been for those gay men and bisexual men, we would never have faced down Hitler and we wouldn't enjoy today the freedoms that we do.

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"I mention some of the names because they've got shields in the chamber."

Mr Adams (Selby and Ainsty) welcomed the Government's proposals to "put right some of these injustices".

But he added: "I do find the last-minute scrambling, this sort of dancing round handbags, if you like, at the last-minute... I do find that a little bit slippery and disrespectful to (Mr Nicolson) and his Bill."

Iain Stewart, Conservative MP for Milton Keynes South, said he would "wholeheartedly" support the amendment the Government is seeking to bring forward if it is judged to be the way to change the law.

He went on: "However, I absolutely agree with (Mr Nicholson), many other people on both sides of the House, who said we can do better than this.

"We can move forward in a much more symbolic way and in a way which will really make a difference to many people in this country."

Shadow Home Office Minister Lyn Brown spoke passionately saying that the government's plan for making the pardons through the Police and Crime bill “reduces the quality of the apology being offered”.

She reminded the Justice Minister that bills can be amended at the committee stage, saying: “That's what we do here all the time.' "I can't see how this bill is different to any other bill."

And when MP Wes Streeting called for Sam Gyimah to make sure he did not talk out this bill, he responded: “I can commit to setting out the government's case very clearly”, suggesting he was happy to talk out the bill.

4 Justice Minister Sam Gyimah urged John Nicolson to withdraw his private members bill and work with the Government Credit: parliamentlive.tv

The Government has stressed that anyone living who has been convicted of such offences can already apply through the Home Office to have their names cleared through the disregard process which removes any mention of an offence from criminal record checks.

Ministers are also planning to introduce a new statutory pardon for the living in cases where offences have been deleted through the disregard process.

Mr Gyimah said: "As well as honouring the dead (Mr Nicolson) 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."

Mr Nicolson said he had accepted an offer of help from the Government in June and that there had been "plenty of time to chat about this".

As well as the criticism in the House, the Justice Minister has been slated on social media for talking out the bill.

Shame on the Tories for this. Very proud of @MrJohnNicolson for bringing this Bill forward and speaking so movingly on it. #TuringBill https://t.co/WnjmyKKlaW — Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) October 21, 2016

Unbelievable talking out of #TuringBill by Tory minister Gyimah. An unpardonable folly by an inexcusable UK Government @theSNP @stonewalluk — Chris Law MP (@ChrisLawSNP) October 21, 2016

Rule No.1 of Filibustering: To not seem like you are Filibustering @SamGyimah #TuringBill — Labour Whips (@labourwhips) October 21, 2016

I was proud to be a signatory of the #TuringBill as introduced by @MrJohnNicolson. Disappointed with today's shambles but we will keep at it — Stewart McDonald MP (@StewartMcDonald) October 21, 2016

Equality is not a political game. Parties should together celebrate & support diversity, not score points. Awful behaviour today #turingbill — Sophie Walker (@SophieRunning) October 21, 2016

Tory Minister has talked out the #TuringBill from @MrJohnNicolson



They have no shame. — Jo Phillips (@joglasg) October 21, 2016