Duncan Smith to allow free vote on ditching Section 28

Iain Duncan Smith, the Toy leader, will attempt to reduce his party's feuding over gay rights by allowing his MPs a free vote on Section 28.

After months of agonising, he will send out a signal that the party is willing to modernise by abandoning the Tories' support for the law banning schools from the "promotion" of homosexuality.

Instead, the party will propose an alternative to the controversial measure, introduced 14 years ago by Margaret Thatcher, which does not "stigmatise" homosexuality.

The move will come as MPs debate a cross-party proposal to repeal what has been called an "unnecessary and undesirable" law in two weeks' time.

Senior Tory sources announced last night that they would allow a free vote on Section 28, avoiding a repeat of the damaging rebellion last year when Mr Duncan Smith imposed a three-line whip against adoption by gay and unmarried couples. But one source said: "It is a different subject, a different issue."

It was not clear last night which way the Tory leader would vote. However, before his election he admitted that Section 28 had become a "totem" that sent out a hostile message to homosexuals.

Since then, Mr Duncan Smith has stayed silent on the matter, which has proved a running sore in the party, with divisions extending all the way to the Shadow Cabinet. Hardline Tories have consistently blocked the repeal of Section 28, maintaining that it would legitimise homosexuality to the detriment of marriage.

But modernising MPs, such as Michael Portillo, Francis Maude and John Bercow, have strongly argued it must be ditched to underline the party's attempts to reach out to a wider political constituency. Mr Duncan Smith had been warned of further resignations from the Shadow Cabinet if he ordered MPs to vote to retain Section 28.

Mr Bercow, who quit the Shadow Cabinet over the gay adoption vote, recently denounced Section 28 for sending out "hostile signals" and causing "great unpopularity for the Conservative Party, in particular with a lot of young people".

The Tories will call instead for schools to display all sex education material for inspection by parents. If a "small but significant" number objected to its content, head teachers would be required to ballot all parents before using them in the classroom.

They say the proposed policy is based on existing government guidelines forbidding the "direct promotion of sexual orientation".

The Tories argue that this will provide the protection of Section 28, without stigmatising homosexuality, and promote marriage.

A party source said: "This is our replacement for Section 28. It's a straight swap." He admitted the proposal would be defeated in the Commons initially, because of Labour's massive majority, but believed it could be backed by the Lords.

David Davis, the shadow Deputy Prime Minister, said: "Our number one priority is to offer children genuine protection and to strengthen the rights of parents when it comes to the way children are taught about sex in our schools. That is what really matters to families up and down the country. It is an important issue that goes beyond party politics."