A Government plan to weaken Sunday trading laws for the Olympics has been criticised by Ed Balls. He clashed with Chancellor George Osborne on The Andrew Marr Show on 18 March 2012. Mr Balls, the Shadow Chancellor, cautioned that the move would break up “centuries of tradition”.
The Westminster Government has launched a public consultation this week on its controversial plans to redefine marriage — Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said the consultation will be about how, not if, marriage will be redefined — Coalition for Marriage campaign director Colin Hart has described the government’s consultation as a ‘sham’ which will ignore any opposition — David Coburn, UKIP’s openly homosexual London Regional Chairman, has warned that people who believe in traditional marriage could find themselves accused of ‘hate crimes’ if marriage is redefined — The Scottish public are less likely to back independence, if the SNP led Government redefines marriage — Prime Minister David Cameron, and London Mayor Boris Johnson, have indicated their support for the right of Christians to wear a cross at work — TV chef Delia Smith and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg have both launched stinging attacks on atheism in public life — and a severely paralysed man has won the right to challenge the law against euthanasia in England and Wales despite the Government previously saying that there are “compelling reasons” for the courts ‘not’ to get involved.