Bigotry reigns as Assembly caves in to the inevitable!

At about twenty past four on the afternoon of Wednesday 20 April 2005, the National Assembly of Wales brought an end to its shameful discrimination against Freemasons.

The Standing Order that was abolished required Assembly Members who were Freemasons to register that fact or face sanctions under the Criminal Law! No other UK legislature or assembly had seen fit to take such powers for itself; and furthermore, no other organisation was proscribed in that way - not even the Ku Klux Klan ...... or Al Quaeda.

The old requirement was something so eminently worthy of Nazi Germany - where Freemasons were also persecuted - that it was perhaps grimly ironic that that this iniquitous rule was overturned on Adolf Hitler's birthday!

Freemasons will still be required to register (and we have never suggested that that they shouldn't) but so will members of a large range of other organisations. Our objection has been to being singled out for discrimination.

The amendments mean that:

1. All references to Freemasonry are to be removed from the Standing Orders.
   
2. It would be replaced by a requirement for Assembly Members (AMs) to register membership of all organisations where a candidate for membership (who otherwise meets the entry requirements) can be vetoed by existing members or by a selection committee.
   
3. Where an AM fails to register the fact that s/he is a Freemason (or a member of one of the newly defined organisations), s/he would no longer be de-facto guilty of a criminal act. S/he would instead be subject to internal NAW sanction and resulting public opprobrium.
   

Many of the contributions to the debate could be described as spiteful and grudging - even from some of those who subsequently voted in favour of the motion. It was clear that in many cases, support for the amendment was motivated only by the prospect of almost certain defeat at the European Court of Human Rights.

Some members displayed what can only be described as breathtaking ignorance of, and antipathy towards, Freemasonry. Such ignorance really cannot be excused because for over four years we have repeatedly offered each AM the facility of having their questions answered - and/or to visit a Masonic premises. The antipathy could therefore be said to fuelled by willful ignorance.

Freemasonry does not involve itself in politics - except when Freemasony itself is the subject. It is to be hoped, therefore, that this is the last that the National Assembly for Wales will see of us.

However, there was some suggestion during the debate that the new Standing Order might be applied selectively. We will be keeping a keen eye on its application; being particularly alert for disparity in any penalties imposed by the Standards Committee.

David Melding AM, made a very appropriate contribution when he said that sanctions imposed by the Standards Committee should be determined by the motives or reasons for any breach.
We would add that the nature of the organisation must have no bearing on the Committee's deliberations.

The European Court of Human Rights awaits.