Tuesday 31 January 2012

Alan Turing should be pardoned


Chorlton Lib Dem MP, John Leech, has just sent out a Press Release and handed in an EDM (see below) calling for Alan Turing to be pardoned. Alan was a hero, who help shortened the Second World War by cracking the German enigma codes. The fact that he was persecuted by the state for being Gay is a scandal that shouldn’t be allowed to stand.

John signed an EDM in 2007 about Alan, but this EDM is prompted by a petition on the Downing Street web page calling for a pardon submitted by local resident Will Jones.

His petition has over 21000 signatures, and can be signed using the link below.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/23526

Petition organiser Will Jones said,

“I am very happy than John has submitted this EDM. I urge all MP’s to sign it. I urge everyone else to sign my petition calling on Alan Turing to be pardoned.

John's Parliamentary motion:

EDM 2660: ‘That this House notes the vital contribution made by Alan Turing to Britain’s war effort by inventing the machine that broke the Enigma code, regrets that following his years of national service he received a criminal conviction for having a sexual relationship with another man; further regrets that he was forced to take oestrogen therapy or be sent to prison if he did not comply; finally regrets that he went on to take his own life on 8th June 1954 at the age of just 41 years; notes that so far over 21,000 people have signed the E petition on the 10 Downing Street website calling for Alan Turing to be pardoned, supports these calls, and acknowledges the huge and unnecessary suffering that he and so many other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have had to endure.’

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