A PRIVATE members bill tabled by South Swindon MP Julia Drown, which would make it easier to convict rapists, has gained its first reading in parliament.

However, it stands no chance of becoming law because it will run out of time before it can go through all the necessary stages.

The MP's Consent Bill calls for a change in the law to ensure that defendants in rape cases should be legally obliged to prove they took steps to ensure there was mutual consent to sex.

She says legislative changes are needed to improve drastically on the current 91 per cent of rape cases that fail to end in a conviction.