BRITAIN: British Prime Minister Tony Blair suffered the embarrassment of a backbench rebellion among his Labour MPs last night as they tried to secure a complete ban on hitting children.
After a brief but highly charged debate, an amendment to the Children Bill outlawing the "hitting" of youngsters was rejected by 424 to 75, a majority of 349. The Bill will instead allow mild smacking, while barring any physical punishment which caused visible bruising.
The revolt came after Mr Blair failed to win over opponents of smacking at an 11th hour meeting.
Labour health select committee chairman Mr David Hinchliffe led the bid to scrap the 19th century legal defence of "reasonable chastisement" by citing experience gained during his time as a social worker.
Mr Hinchliffe said it was "a scandal and a disgrace that in 21st century Britain at least one child every week . . . dies at the hands of their parents or carers".
He added: "Like colleagues who have also worked in child protection, I don't just think there is a connection between our shocking levels of child deaths and our laws permitting so called reasonable chastisement - I know there is.
"I have witnessed in individual cases, the progression from what is now being called gentle smacking to serious injury and, in a couple of instances, death from shaking, hitting, punching and beating.
"Children tell it as it is. Smacking is hitting and smacking hurts. It causes not only physical pain, it hurts inside too. So, yes, this amendment would criminalise hitting to exactly the same extent as hitting adults is criminalised," he said.
But minister for children, young people and families Ms Margaret Hodge said it was wrong to create a new offence which could criminalise thousands of parents. She said that by removing the defence of reasonable chastisement for causing actual bodily harm or cruelty, the bill did tighten the existing law.
In a second embarrassment for Mr Blair later last night, 29 Labour Party MPs defied the whips to vote against the second reading of the Gambling Bill.