Two years after the Conservative Government promised to disbar sex offenders from public office, the government has still not introduced the necessary legislation and in a recent response to a question from a Liberal Democrat peer in Parliament they have given no promise to do so soon.

Baroness Kath Pinnock has recently asked a question in Parliament on behalf of Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE.

Councillor Sykes backed a motion at Oldham Council with the-then Leader of the Council, Councillor Jean Stretton, calling on the Government to introduce legislation to prevent anyone required to sign the Sex Offences Act from standing or remaining in public office in March 2017. 

In October 2018 Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak MP promised to introduce the necessary legislation but, after two years, still nothing has happened.

Councillor Sykes has not given up; commenting he said:  “The Tories are citing the Covid-19 pandemic for the reason nothing has happened, but they had a full eighteen months before this crisis to act on Minister Rishi Sunak’s promise.  They failed to do so.  Why has nothing happened?  I will never give up until it does”.

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Pinnock of Cleckheaton tabled the following question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in the House of Lords on 5 October 2020

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to honour the commitment made by the Local Government Minister on 18 October 2018 to amend section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972 to disbar persons required to sign the Sex Offenders Register from acquiring or holding public office as councillors or mayors.

The response received from Conservative Lord Greenhalgh of Fulham, Minister of State on 19 October 2020

It is essential that all our councillors, mayors and London Assembly members are held to the highest standards of conduct.

That is why the Government has committed to legislate on this issue as soon as Parliamentary time allows.