North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire welcomes Privy Council LGBT+ ruling

A court in London has just struck down a law on the other side of the Atlantic. For one Cornish MP, it’s a start and nowhere near the finish.

North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Attorney General, has welcomed a ruling by the UK’s Privy Council that overturns Trinidad and Tobago’s ban on consensual same-sex relations.

He called it a “major step forward”. But he also warned that many other Commonwealth countries still criminalise LGBT+ people.

A ruling days after the Commonwealth summit

The decision comes days after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, from 1 to 4 November.

Ahead of that meeting, Ben led a cross-party letter to The Times, copied to the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. It urged the Government to use CHOGM to secure a clear commitment from member states to repeal laws criminalising same-sex relations, to uphold the rights of transgender people, and to work alongside local civil society to end discrimination.

The letter, dated 28 October, states that consensual same-sex relationships are still criminalised in 29 of the Commonwealth’s 56 countries.

📷Ben Maguire's cross-party letter to The Times, dated 28 October 2026

21 MPs back Early Day Motion

In the run-up to the meeting, Ben also tabled an Early Day Motion on LGBT+ rights in the Commonwealth. It has been signed by 21 MPs from a number of different parties.

“Much more to do”

Ben said: “This is a landmark moment for LGBT+ rights in the Commonwealth, and I warmly welcome it. No one should be treated as a criminal simply for who they love, and I’m proud to have led this cross-party call for change ahead of the recent major Commonwealth meeting, alongside lots of MPs from right across the House.

“But I do want to be clear that there is still much more to do. In far too many Commonwealth countries, LGBT+ people continue to face imprisonment, violence and exclusion. I will keep pressing the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister to use every opportunity to secure real commitments from Commonwealth colleagues to repeal these laws.”