The Ghanaian parliament is inching closer to passing one of the most draconian anti-LGBTQ+ bills in Africa. And Whitehall is watching. Nervously.
Sources tell me the Foreign Office has issued a quiet but firm warning to Accra. The message: pass this bill, and you risk losing British aid and investment. The bill, currently in its final stages, would impose prison sentences of up to ten years for same-sex relationships. It also criminalises promoting LGBTQ+ rights.
This is a test of the UK’s post-Brexit foreign policy. Britain wants to be a global leader on human rights. But it also needs allies in West Africa. Ghana is a stable democracy, a key Commonwealth partner. The government in Accra knows this. They are betting that Britain’s bark is worse than its bite.
But the mood in Westminster is shifting. I spoke to a senior backbench MP who told me: “We cannot be seen to be funding homophobia. The Prime Minister will face a revolt if he doesn’t act.” Labour is already sharpening its lines. The Liberal Democrats are demanding an immediate suspension of aid.
Downing Street is trying to navigate this quietly. They have stressed the UK’s “concern” in private channels. But the bill’s sponsors in Ghana are playing hardball. They argue the bill reflects Ghanaian cultural values. They reject “Western imperialism” on LGBTQ+ rights.
The situation is delicate. Britain provides around £100 million in aid to Ghana each year. Trade is worth another £1 billion. Neither side wants to lose that. But this is a red line for many in the UK parliament.
I’m told the Foreign Secretary is weighing options. Formal démarche? A public statement? Or a quiet phone call to President Akufo-Addo? The former is seen as too aggressive. The latter might not be enough.
One thing is clear: this will not go away. The bill’s passage would force the UK government’s hand. And in the current febrile climate, any perceived weakness would be punished.
Watch this space. The game is on.
