David Cameron is going to suffer a definite thumbs down from Welsh Tory MPs. All eight MPs are set to vote against legalising gay marriage in parliament later today.
Although its a free vote meaning MPs are able to vote without the party whips setting the agenda. The issue is regarded as a conscience vote.
Despite it being an issue of “conscience” if a large number of Conservatives vote against the Prime Minister it will be seen as a split in Tory party ranks.
Most other MPs from Wales are expected to back the Bill.
The only other prominent politician expected to vote against is Paul Murphy the Torfaen MP a prominent catholic and a papal knight.
Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted that the bill is the "right thing to do". But clearly has not being able to persuade large sections of his own party. They are determined to live up to the label of the “nasty” party.
More than 20 current and former constituency chairmen paraded themselves in front of 10 Downing Street urging the prime minister to delay any parliamentary decision on gay marriage until after the next election. They were of the view that "significant damage to the Conservative Party in the run-up to the 2015 election" if the plans enter law.
Although the reaction amongst the grass roots of the Tory party against the Marriage (Same sex couples) Bill is great. Their stance it is unlikely to help win the support of the centre ground in politics. A group whose votes determine election results.
So what’s the fuss all about. The bill allows same sex couples to marry and also allows couples who had previously entered into civil partnerships to convert their relationship into a marriage.
Although some religious groups are opposed to the Bill no such body will be obliged to conduct marriage ceremonies against the will.
It would seem that like many another social issue, politicians and also some church leaders get themselves into a terrible state. It’s all woe, woe and thrice woe. But a few years down the line everyone wonders what all the fuss was about.
“There never was issued such a terrible curse,
but what gave rise, with no little surprise,
No one seemed no penny the worse.”
The problem is that English and Scottish law can be over-ruled by the European court, so guarantees count for nothing.
ReplyDeleteCivil partnerships for all would have been the way to go, leaving 'marriage' to the religious bodies and giving it no legal status.
I'm in the dark a bit as to what the attitude of some of the main religious groups in Wales is to this - we know that the unitarians want to be allowed to perform same-sex marriage, and we know of the opposition of the Anglicans and Catholics. But what of the welsh Annibyns, Hen Gorff, Baptists? The annibyns in particular have a long record of social liberalism, but I've heard no comment at all in the Welsh media on the views of the nonconformists.
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