Blair defeated in religious hate law vote

Tony Blair

LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair's government has suffered a rare defeat in parliament over a planned law to outlaw religious hatred which critics said would erode the right to free speech.

In only its second defeat in parliament since coming to power in 1997, Blair's government failed to overturn changes to the law recommended by the upper house of parliament.

Blair sought new powers to ban people suspected of preaching religious hatred after the July 7 attacks when four bombers killed 52 people on London's transport network.

Government ministers have said sermons by radical Muslim preachers may have played a part in the attacks, carried out by young British Muslims.

The proposals, which formed a key part of Blair's election manifesto last May, will still become law, but with restrictions imposed by the upper house.

In one of the key votes on Tuesday, the government lost by a majority of one. The BBC reported that Blair did not cast his vote.

"I regret that on the question of the level of the bar at which prosecutions can be brought ... that the government lost tonight," interior minister Charles Clarke said.

The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill aims to give followers of all faiths equal protection from incitement and was designed in part to address an anomaly in current laws.

Under the existing Public Order Act, Jews and Sikhs have protection but not Christians, Muslims or members of other religions.

The new law aims not only to crack down on those who have targeted Muslims since the September 11 attacks on the United States but also to curb extremist Islamic preachers who urge their followers to commit violence.

The law's critics, which included comedian Rowan Atkinson, former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, and civil rights groups, said it threatened free speech.

Rowan Atkinson, creator of the Mr Bean character, has said some of his sketches -- and others such as Monty Python's 1979 film Life of Brian -- could face prosecution if the original proposals had been passed.

- REUTERS