Atkinson in last-gasp bid to bury religious hate bill

Comedian Rowan Atkinson today makes a last-ditch call for MPs to reject a controversial bill that would make it illegal to insult religions.

Atkinson, an outspoken critic of the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, which goes before the Commons on Tuesday, says the move would stifle freedom of speech. The Mr Bean star is part of a vociferous alliance of thespians, atheists and Christians who are lobbying against the bill, which is also being opposed by the Conservatives and the Lib Dems.

Others opponents include Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre; Ian McEwan, a Booker prize-winning author; best-selling children's writer Philip Pullman; and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey.

The Lords voted by a majority of 149 to narrow the government's proposed new offence of inciting religious hatred to that involving the use of threatening words or behaviour. But Labour now plans to make it an offence to incite religious hatred through the use of insulting or abusive words.

'I am deeply concerned for all performers and entertainers, because the climate in which we work will be very different if the government gets its way,' Atkinson said. 'If the wording of the revised bill is read carefully, it can be seen that the new freedoms the government provides with one hand it deftly removes with the other.'

Last night Christian groups expressed dismay that the government had opted to reject the Lords' amendments. 'Our previous relative relief that the Lords had delivered a workable and less extreme bill ... has now turned to alarm,' said Dr Don Horrocks, head of public affairs at the Evangelical Alliance.

'The practical effect will be to inhibit free speech and writing in such a way that people will worry about saying anything critical of religion.'

Keith Porteous-Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, which was instrumental in co-ordinating opposition to the bill, said the legislation would be welcomed only by lawyers. 'There are an awful lot of litigious people around. Extremists are going to cow people into silence.'

It is estimated between 20 and 30 backbench Labour MPs may rebel against the government, suggesting the vote will be very close.

'Tuesday's vote will be the last and best chance for parliament to protect freedom of speech,' said Lib Dem spokesman Evan Harris. 'Unless these safeguards are kept in place, the chilling effect of this new offence would be to stifle free expression and set community against community - each seeking to prosecute others for perceived insults.'