The inequality of the UK

I read today about a worrying discussion which is currently happening in Northern Ireland. Some silly tit is attempting to create a bill which basically excuses bigotry on religious grounds.

The Independent newspaper reports: "Last month, a politician from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) unveiled plans to introduce a "conscience clause" into Northern Irish law which would make religious people exempt from equality legislation."

Two steps forward, one step back...

I am actually shocked to discover that this kind of nonsense is being considered in the United Kingdom. Religion should not be allowed to get in the way of a) politics and b) human rights. This is about as fundamental as anything can get. It should be the very principal of existence, and can only be ignored at our collective peril. Sharia Law is the consequence of religion dictating law, as are some of the draconian abortion laws that exist in the US. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Religion is a choice and sexuality is not. Those boring, whinging, tragic, buttoned-up, doubled-standarded Christians and Catholics should get on with searching for sin in their own lives and stop judging and persecuting others.

...And if the good people of Northern Ireland want to be treated like anything other than a bunch of violent simpletons, they might want to start behaving like human beings.

I think it might be time for English, Welsh and Scottish people to boycott Northern Ireland until they can sort themselves out. That, or we encourage the enlightened Northern Irish people to move South or to this side of the Irish Sea, so we can cut the rest of them off and let the bastards bomb the crap out of one another.

In all seriousness, there are online petitions to sign that might stop this insanity, so do what you can to help. And if you're Northern Irish and gay. IT WILL GET BETTER.

I'm currently in Shropshire at Nathan's Mum's house. We drove here in time for a late lunch - a fabulous vegetarian stew with dumplings - and have basically sat on sofas watching telly and eating chocolate ever since. I feel like a lump of lard... All be it a rather relaxed one!

I am fairly horrified to see the listings for the BBC for this evening. Apart from a couple of long-running soaps, everything they're showing is a repeat. This is wholly unacceptable for a public service broadcaster just two days before Christmas. I usually loathe people who ask why we pay our licence fee, but in this instance I think we'd be well within our rights to know why we have to watch last year's Great British Bake Off master class with Paul and Mary Berry.