Conservative MP quit to vote against Govt on NI sex ed

A Conservative MP quit his job in order to vote with his conscience against the Government’s new regulations on sex ed in Northern Ireland last week.

Robin Millar, a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Welsh Secretary David Davies, was one of 20 Tory MPs that voted against the regulations.

The Northern Ireland Office said it “will result in educating adolescents on issues such as how to prevent a pregnancy, the legal right to an abortion in Northern Ireland, and how relevant services may be accessed”.

‘Good conscience’

Millar shares the concerns of parents across the UK “about the RSE their children are being taught in schools“.

He said: “I could not in good conscience represent parents and at the same time ignore the conclusion of the House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee that more time was needed to consult with parents in NI before enacting this Statutory Instrument.”

wrong not to hold a public consultation

Committee member Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick, said: “This policy is highly controversial and of interest to a wide range of interested parties” and that it was “wrong not to hold a public consultation”.

‘Without consultation’

MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour by 373 to 28, but almost all the NI members opposed it.

A number of MPs spoke out strongly ahead of the vote, including Sammy Wilson, MP for East Antrim, who said the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland had taken “a sensitive issue” and “trampled all over it like some kind of rogue, rampaging political elephant”.

He added: “It’s brought in with speed, it’s brought in without consultation, it doesn’t respect the deep faith that people – parents, teachers, and the boards of governors of schools – have, and it doesn’t even provide for a parental opt-out.”