‘The UK’s conversion therapy ban is long overdue – now Parliament must deliver’

No one should ever be made to believe that who they are is something to be “cured”. Yet for decades, thousands of LGBT+ people across Britain have been subjected to so-called ‘conversion practices’ that seek to change, suppress or erase their identity. These practices are abuse. 

That is why the government’s publication of a law to ban conversion practices is both long overdue and profoundly important. It marks a decisive step towards ending one of the most harmful forms of abuse still experienced by LGBT+ people in Britain.

Conversion practices are based on the false premise that being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is something that should be changed, suppressed, or erased. They take many forms, from coercive counselling and pseudo-therapeutic interventions to sustained psychological pressure by those in positions of trust. In whatever form, these practices share one damaging message: that an LGBT+ person’s identity is something to be “fixed”.

This message has been rejected by an overwhelming number of the UK’s mainstream medical and religious institutions, including the British Medical Association, Royal College of Psychiatrists, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and the Church of England.

READ MORE: ‘Towards a health biosphere’

These organisations, and many more like them, recognise that survivors of conversion practices describe lasting trauma, anxiety, depression, and a profound loss of self-worth. The government has a duty to protect people from coercive practices that claim to alter an intrinsic part of who they are.

A government survey in 2018 found that 5% of LGBT+ people had been offered some form of conversion therapy, while 2% had undergone it. That’s tens of thousands of people in modern Britain that have suffered this shocking abuse. 

Galop, an anti-LGBT abuse charity, received more than 300 calls about conversion practices from 2022 to 2025, including reports of physical and sexual violence, attempted forced marriages, and people forcibly taken abroad to undergo conversion practices.

This is not a party-political issue. In 2018, then-Prime Minister Theresa May committed to ending conversion practices as part of the Conservative Government’s LGBT Action Plan. The Conservative Party repeated this commitment in its 2019 general election manifesto and consulted on legislation. Yet despite those promises, successive Governments failed to bring forward the Bill. For years, survivors were told change was coming. Instead, they were left waiting.

Our Labour Government now has the opportunity – and responsibility – to fulfil our manifesto commitment and finally deliver a comprehensive and trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices. 

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

Some critics argue that a ban would threaten freedom of speech, religious belief, or parental rights – but they are wrong. Those freedoms are fundamental and must remain protected. Nobody is saying people shouldn’t be free to express sincerely held beliefs. Under this new law, parents will still be able to have open conversations with their children, faith leaders can still offer pastoral support, and therapists will still be free to help people explore their feelings without steering them towards any predetermined outcome.

What the new law bans are coercive or deceptive practices intended to make someone reject or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity. It won’t criminalise discussion or support; it will prevent abuse.

We would also not be the first country to introduce such a ban. The likes of France, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand have already introduced similar legislation. The UK has fallen behind, but now is our opportunity to catch up.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

A carefully drafted ban would continue the UK’s record – so often progressed by Labour governments – of protecting the most marginalised in society while upholding the rights of others. This ban would send a clear message that everyone deserves to live freely and authentically, without any pressure to become someone they are not.

Parliament has recognised this problem for years, as has the medical community and many faith organisations across our country. Other nations have acted while in the UK, promise after promise has been made and then delayed. It is now time to deliver on this crucial commitment to ensure all LGBT+ people are protected from coercive conversion practices which have destroyed so many lives

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].