Nadine Dorries MP and the Quest for Sexual Abstinence

by Sean Gabb

I have just heard that Nadine Dorries has withdrawn her Sex Education (Required Content) Bill. If passed, this would have required schoolgirls to discuss abstinence in the classroom. The summary of the Bill taken from the UK Parliament website is as follows:

A Bill to require schools to provide certain additional sex education to girls aged between 13 and 16; to provide that such education must include information and advice on the benefits of abstinence from sexual activity; and for connected purposes.

In her blog entry following the first reading on 4th May 2011 (which passed 67-61), she explains the reasons for presenting the Bill:

“I am not seeking to diminish sex education as taught at present, but to include the empowering option that young girls can just say no. In school, children are taught to base the decision whether or not to have sex on their feelings and wishes. I don’t believe young girls under the age of 16 have consistent feelings and that they can change from day to day. My bill was about making boys wait being an empowering and cool thing for girls to do and that it should be taught as a viable, if not preferable option for girls aged 16 and under – especially as sex at that age is unlawful.”

The Libertarian Alliance is not an organisation that regards itself as judgemental. Our policy has always been one of perfect love and good will to all. This being said, we cannot resist quoting a Daily Telegraph article from the 7th January 2011:

“Nadine Dorries, the outspoken Conservative MP, has confirmed that she has started a new relationship with a married man who has been a family friend for 13 years…..

“Mrs Dorries, 53, said that she begun a relationship with John Butler, a 55-year-old father of two and devout Christian, in December shortly after he left his wife of 30 years….
“Mrs Butler, who found out about the relationship on Friday morning, added to the Daily Mail: ‘Because she’s an MP people think of her as a pillar of society but in fact she’s a marriage wrecker.

“’I’m shocked and hurt. I know it takes two to tango but she shouldn’t have gone after a married man.’”

We cannot find it in ourselves to praise Mrs Dorries for wanting young people to be hectored by their teachers into continence at a time when sexual intercourse is at its most pleasurable. But we do look forward to her denunciation of women who, in late middle age, get into bed with married men. Surely, at this time in a person’s life, abstinence is both easier and more reasonable to expect?