Today is Boris Day. The former Prime Minister goes before the House of Commons Privilege Committee to face several hours of questioning about whether he deliberately or recklessly misled Parliament over the Partygate affair. The proceedings will be broadcast live on the Parliament channel. I tend to think that people who watch daytime TV are sad people but I might actually join them today.

But this post is not about Boris. In checking the schedule for the Parliament channel, I saw that it was also broadcasting a short programme which is potentially much more relevant to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. At 6.45am today UK time, the channel will broadcast a short debate that took place yesterday on an attempt to change the law on same sex marriage in England. Ben Bradshaw MP, that Anglican and champion of the community, introduced a 10-Minute Rule Bill which would have enabled Anglican ministers to conduct same sex marriages in their churches if they wanted to. He made a strong case for Parliament giving the church a nudge in this direction. As he says, opinion polls show a majority in favour both in the country in general and among members of the Church of England as well.

Andrew Selous MP, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, responded to the Bill. He argued that it was for the Church of England, not Parliament, to legislate on this issue. He pointed out that General Synod had taken a certain position on the issue following debates earlier this year. So his opposition was not doctrinal but procedural.

By convention, a 10-Minute Rule Bill has no chance of becoming law. Its purpose is really to allow Parliament to discuss an issue raised by an MP. Yesterday's debate is in itself a small step forward. If anyone wants to read what was said in the debate, the Hansard record is here.

Always look on the bright side of life… If you despair of the Church of England ever catching up with the rest of society, because it's beholden to a large and vociferous evangelical contingent, just be glad you don't live in Uganda. Legislation has been proposed which will introduce the death penalty for homosexual acts and the promotion of same sex activities. If the New Testament imperative is love, if God is a god of love, then the Ugandan Christians are living on a different planet.