Elliot Colburn has backed petitioners' calls for 'conversion therapy' to be banned as campaigners acuse the government of not moving quickly enough to take action.

The Carshalton and Wallington MP opened the debate which saw "strong cross-party support" yesterday evening ( March 8).

It comes after more than 250,000 people signed a petition for the practice to be made illegal. 

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said the government was "committed" to "ending" the practice, and took the issue "very seriously". 

Conversion therapy refers to treatment or psychotherapy which aims to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. 

It can range from electric shock treatment to discussion and religious teaching. 

MP Elliot Colburn said: "With every day that passes, there is another person at risk at being subject to this degrading treatment and we risk losing even more lives of people who feel there is no other way out."

He said he was "humbled" to open the debate and was delighted to see cross-party support as several MPs called for action against the practice. 

"As I said tonight, as #LGBT+ people, we are here, valid and we do not need curing," Mr Colburn said on Twitter.