Boris Johnson backtracks on U-turn over gay conversion therapy ban

A Government spokesperson had earlier confirmed that they were looking instead at ways of preventing it through existing law and “other non-legislative measures”.

It followed the leak of a Downing Street briefing paper seen by ITV News which said “the PM has agreed we should not move forward with legislation” to outlaw the practice.

However, within hours of the announcement, a senior Government source was quoted as saying the legislation would be included in the Queen’s Speech in May.

The Prime Minister was said to have “changed his mind” after seeing the reaction to the announcement.

However, this was with the caveat that conversion therapy for transgender people would not be included in the ban, which has brought further criticism.

The ban on conversion therapy would not include trans people (PA)

What was the initial reaction to the ban on conversion therapy not happening?

Reaction had been understandably hostile to the initial news that the ban of conversion therapy would not be pursued.

Jayne Ozanne, a former government LGBT adviser who survived 20 years of conversion therapy, said vulnerable people were being “thrown under the bus”.

“This is the Prime Minister’s decision and the Prime Minister has shown his true colours with regard to the LGBT community,” she told the PA news agency.

“I think he thought he could get away with it, but this will horrify, I am sure, people right across the country who have believed frankly for years that this should have been banned.”

Actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry tweeted: “Just when I thought my contempt for this disgusting government couldn’t sink lower. A curse upon the whole lying, stinking lot of them.”

For Labour, shadow equalities secretary Anneliese Dodds said: “This outrageous decision shows you simply can’t trust a word Boris Johnson says.

“A government that believes conversion therapy is acceptable in 21st century Britain is no friend of the LGBT+ community.”