Rolled-up Trousers: Half-hearted attempts to ban religious hatred

I have to confess I've not been avidly following the government's attempts to ban religious hatred, particularly as the legislation did not affect Scotland.

However, I have tried to get into it, but without success in cutting through the mist. This was not like the clearcut 90-days vote, where one side wanted 90 days and the other didn't. Here, the government said that the legislation would protect minorities and not affect free speech, while the opposition counterclaimed it did curtail liberties (and as Polly Toynbee said yesterday, we should have the freedom to offend each other - I'd always been taught that was rude and childish and that we should respect others, but that's me).

I find it amazing that the government could not arrive at a form of words which would have everyone happy. I'm sure everyone can coalesce around the view that the law protecting Jews and Sikhs has not stopped anyone making fun of them, and to extend this provision to other faiths is acceptable.

The government have not managed to communicate why this legislation was important and that opposition concerns are misplaced. I still can't find anything about it on the Home Office website. They even gave concessions a few days ago, rendering the Bill useless, but still couldn't get it through.

One of the votes last night was lost by a single solitary vote, and the Prime Minister didn't even turn up for that. I can only conclude the government weren't really bothered about it, and hoped it would allow their backbenchers to vent some steam before further battles ahead on education reforms and ID cards.