Accra has just handed Westminster a diplomatic grenade. Ghana's parliament voted through the 'Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill' early this morning. The legislation criminalises LGBTQ+ identities, advocacy, and support networks. Prison sentences of up to ten years are now on the table.
The timing is brutal. Downing Street had hoped to quietly manage this. Trade negotiations with the Commonwealth bloc are delicate. The UK's post-Brexit trade strategy leans heavily on these relationships. Now, a human rights firestorm threatens to derail months of careful diplomacy.
Foreign Office sources are fuming. Off the record, they admit this is a 'catastrophic own goal' for Ghana's international standing. The bill directly contradicts the Commonwealth Charter's commitment to human rights. Other member states, particularly Canada and New Zealand, are already sharpening their criticism. Expect strongly worded statements from Ottawa by lunchtime.
But here's the real game. Behind the scenes, lobbying in Accra was fierce. Conservative religious groups, backed by American evangelical money, pushed hard. They saw this as a test case for the continent. If Ghana holds, others follow. The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, is a key ally of President Akufo-Addo. Did the President give the nod? The official line is that he'll 'study the bill' before signing. That's code for calculating the fallout.
The economic stakes are enormous. Ghana is a major cocoa and gold exporter. It relies on preferential trade access to the UK under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme. The UK government can revoke that access for human rights violations. Treasury sources are privately worried. They estimate a trade disruption could cost Ghana upwards of £1 billion annually.
Backbench MPs in Westminster are mobilising. Labour's shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy is calling for an 'immediate review' of all aid and trade deals. Tory backbenchers are split. The 'global Britain' faction wants to stand firm on values. The business wing wants to avoid rocking the boat. A number of Northern Powerhouse MPs are particularly anxious about infrastructure contracts tied to Ghanaian trade.
The punchline? This is a classic political tightrope. Rishi Sunak needs a win on trade. But he also needs to placate his own party's human rights lobby. Expect frantic calls between the FCDO and the Ghanaian High Commission today. The messaging will be tough behind closed doors, but public condemnation will be carefully calibrated.
For now, the bill awaits presidential assent. That could take weeks. In that time, every lobbyist in Whitehall and Accra will be working the phones. But the damage is done. The Commonwealth's unity on values is cracked. And Ghana's economy is now a hostage to this culture war.
Watch the pound-cedi exchange rate today. Markets hate uncertainty. This is just the opening skirmish.
Eleanor Rigby, reporting from Westminster.
