Ghana’s parliament has just done it. Passed the most draconian anti-LGBTQ+ bill in West Africa. The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. Yes, that one. Life imprisonment for consensual same-sex acts. A chilling message from Accra.
Westminster, you have a problem. This is the Commonwealth. A club built on shared values, or so the brochure says. The UK, as the former colonial power and symbolic head, has always preached tolerance. But what happens when a member state legislates for hatred?
The Foreign Office will be in a spin. Do they condemn loudly, risking a diplomatic row? Or do they offer quiet counsel, the usual British fudge? Sources tell me the High Commission in Accra has been tracking this bill for months. They tried behind-the-scenes pressure. It obviously didn't work.
This is a live test. Rishi Sunak's government has been positioning itself as a champion of Commonwealth renewal. Trade deals, defence cooperation, all that. But moral credibility is fragile. You can't have one without the other.
Let's look at the numbers. Ghana is a key partner in West Africa. Stable, democratic, English-speaking. But this bill puts it on a collision course with modern international norms. The World Bank and IMF will be watching too. Aid and investment flows could be affected.
Back home, the Conservative Party's own values are fractured. The right-wing backbench 1922 committee has a vocal faction that applauds Ghana's 'defence of traditional values.' Expect them to lobby against any strong condemnation. But the liberal wing, the One Nation Tories, will be horrified. They want a firm line.
Labour is already sharpening its attack lines. David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, will call for suspension from the Commonwealth. He's done it before on Uganda. Keir Starmer wants to position the party as the guardian of human rights. This gives him an open goal.
The Lib Dems and SNP will pile on. Expect a raft of parliamentary questions and an urgent debate. The Speaker may grant an emergency application.
But here's the real game. The bill still needs the president's signature. Nana Akufo-Addo has been quiet. He faces re-election next year. Will he sign or send it back? This is where UK diplomacy has a last, narrow window. The Foreign Office will be working the phones. A quiet word, a veiled threat about aid, a promise of a state visit. All the tools of soft power.
If Akufo-Addo signs, the UK must decide. Do they trigger Commonwealth sanctions? There is precedent. Zimbabwe was suspended in 2002. But that took a grossly rigged election. This is different. It's legislative, not electoral. The Commonwealth charter on values is vague on punishment.
The realpolitik is brutal. Ghana is too important to isolate. It's a bulwark against Sahel jihadism. Its economy is struggling. The UK needs allies in the region, especially with Russia and China competing for influence. A full rupture is unlikely.
Expect a careful statement from No.10. 'Deeply disappointed. We raise our concerns. We urge presidential veto.' But behind the scenes, a push for a 'constructive dialogue.' Translation: we will keep talking while the bill stays on the books.
This is a slow-burn crisis for the Commonwealth. Already, several Caribbean and African states have pushed back against Western LGBTQ+ norms. The organization is fraying. Today's vote in Accra is a milestone on the road to a two-speed Commonwealth. One for the liberal West, one for the rest. London must choose. But don't hold your breath for a bold move.
I'll be watching the Lobby for leaks. Checking the wires. The game is on.
