Despite Richard Smith's comments, there is no doubting my, or the Labour Government's commitment to repeal the vicious Section 28 (Opinion, August 1).
Since the Conservatives first introduced it, I have campaigned against Section 28 - most recently at Stonewall meetings in the House of Commons and Brighton.
But repeal was part of a bigger bill, begun in the House of Lords. The Lords twice rejected repeal. Under our constitution, the House of Commons could not force them to accept the view of the majority of elected MPs that Section 28 must go.
Continuing the battle with the Lords now would not have brought repeal of Section 28, but would have led to the defeat of the whole of the new Local Government Bill of which it was a part.
The Prime Minister has pledged repeal will come. At the Pride Festival, Labour Party members collected more signatures on Stonewall's petition for repeal.
-David Lepper, Labour MP, Brighton Pavilion
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