Tag: Politics

The latest news, interviews, and views from the world of LGBT politics in the UK and internationally.

  • Which MPs Voted For And Against Gay Marriage In The UK

    Here is the full list of MPs and how they voted in the government’s same-sex marriage legislation.

    Opposed

    136 Conservatives

    Nigel Adams (Selby & Ainsty)

    Adam Afriyie (Windsor)

    Peter Aldous (Waveney)

    David Amess (Southend West)

    James Arbuthnot (Hampshire North East)

    Richard Bacon (Norfolk South)

    Steven Baker (Wycombe)

    Tony Baldry (Banbury)

    Guto Bebb (Aberconwy)

    Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West)

    Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley)

    Andrew Bingham (High Peak)

    Bob Blackman (Harrow East)

    Peter Bone (Wellingborough)

    Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West)

    Julian Brazier (Canterbury)

    Andrew Bridgen (Leicestershire North West)

    Steve Brine (Winchester)

    Fiona Bruce (Congleton)

    Robert Buckland (Swindon South)

    Simon Burns (Chelmsford)

    David Burrowes (Enfield Southgate)

    Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan)

    Douglas Carswell (Clacton)

    Bill Cash (Stone)

    Rehman Chishti (Gillingham & Rainham)

    Christopher Chope (Christchurch)

    Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswolds, The)

    Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal)

    Geoffrey Cox (Devon West & Torridge)

    Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

    David Davies (Monmouth)

    Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire)

    Philip Davies (Shipley)

    David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden)

    Nick de Bois (Enfield North)

    Caroline Dinenage (Gosport)

    Richard Drax (Dorset South)

    Charlie Elphicke (Dover)

    Jonathan Evans (Cardiff North)

    David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford)

    Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks)

    Liam Fox (Somerset North)

    Mark Francois (Rayleigh & Wickford)

    George Freeman (Norfolk Mid)

    Roger Gale (Thanet North)

    Sir Edward Garnier (Harborough)

    Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest)

    Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham)

    John Glen (Salisbury)

    Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby)

    James Gray (Wiltshire North)

    Andrew Griffiths (Burton)

    Robert Halfon (Harlow)

    Simon Hart (Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South)

    Sir Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden)

    John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings)

    Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire North East)

    Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne & Sheppey)

    Philip Hollobone (Kettering)

    Adam Holloway (Gravesham)

    Sir Gerald Howarth (Aldershot)

    Stewart Jackson (Peterborough)

    Gareth Johnson (Dartford)

    David Jones (Clwyd West)

    Marcus Jones (Nuneaton)

    Greg Knight (Yorkshire East)

    Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne)

    Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North)

    Pauline Latham (Derbyshire Mid)

    Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford)

    Edward Leigh (Gainsborough)

    Julian Lewis (New Forest East)

    David Lidington (Aylesbury)

    Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden)

    Jack Lopresti (Filton & Bradley Stoke)

    Jonathan Lord (Woking)

    Tim Loughton (Worthing East & Shoreham)

    Karen Lumley (Redditch)

    Karl McCartney (Lincoln)

    Anne McIntosh (Thirsk & Malton)

    Stephen McPartland (Stevenage)

    Esther McVey (Wirral West)

    Anne Main (St Albans)

    Paul Maynard (Blackpool North & Cleveleys)

    Stephen Metcalfe (Basildon South & Thurrock East)

    Nicky Morgan (Loughborough)

    Anne-Marie Morris (Newton Abbot)

    David Morris (Morecambe & Lunesdale)

    James Morris (Halesowen & Rowley Regis)

    Bob Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst)

    Caroline Nokes (Romsey & Southampton North)

    David Nuttall (Bury North)

    Stephen O’Brien (Eddisbury)

    Matthew Offord (Hendon)

    Jim Paice (Cambridgeshire South East)

    Neil Parish (Tiverton & Honiton)

    Priti Patel (Witham)

    Owen Paterson (Shropshire North)

    Mark Pawsey (Rugby)

    Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead)

    Mark Pritchard (Wrekin, The)

    John Randall (Uxbridge & Ruislip South)

    John Redwood (Wokingham)

    Jacob Rees-Mogg (Somerset North East)

    Simon Reevell (Dewsbury)

    Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington)

    Andrew Robathan (Leicestershire South)

    Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury)

    Andrew Rosindell (Romford)

    David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds)

    David Rutley (Macclesfield)

    Andrew Selous (Bedfordshire South West)

    Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet & Rothwell)

    Sir Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills)

    Henry Smith (Crawley)

    Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge & Malling)

    John Stevenson (Carlisle)

    Bob Stewart (Beckenham)

    Mel Stride (Devon Central)

    Julian Sturdy (York Outer)

    Robert Syms (Poole)

    Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth & Horncastle)

    David Tredinnick (Bosworth)

    Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight)

    Shailesh Vara (Cambridgeshire North West)

    Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes)

    Ben Wallace (Wyre & Preston North)

    Robert Walter (Dorset North)

    James Wharton (Stockton South)

    Heather Wheeler (Derbyshire South)

    Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley)

    John Whittingdale (Maldon)

    Bill Wiggin (Herefordshire North)

    Gavin Williamson (Staffordshire South)

    Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth & Southam)

    22 Labour MPs

    Joe Benton (Bootle)

    Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley)

    Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill)

    Rosie Cooper (Lancashire West)

    David Crausby (Bolton North East)

    Tony Cunningham (Workington)

    Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton)

    Brian Donohoe (Ayrshire Central)

    Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South)

    Mary Glindon (Tyneside North)

    Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe & Sale East)

    Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney)

    Michael McCann (East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow)

    Jim McGovern (Dundee West)

    Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde)

    George Mudie (Leeds East)

    Paul Murphy (Torfaen)

    Stephen Pound (Ealing North)

    Frank Roy (Motherwell & Wishaw)

    Jim Sheridan (Paisley & Renfrewshire North)

    Derek Twigg (Halton)

    Mike Wood (Batley & Spen)

    4 Lib Dem MPs

    Sir Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed)

    Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley)

    John Pugh (Southport)

    Sarah Teather (Brent Central)

    Others

    8 DUP:

    Gregory Campbell (Londonderry East)

    Nigel Dodds (Belfast North)

    Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley)

    The Rev William McCrea (Antrim South)

    Ian Paisley Jr (Antrim North)

    Jim Shannon (Strangford)

    David Simpson (Upper Bann)

    Sammy Wilson (Antrim East)

    2 independents:

    Nadine Dorries (Bedfordshire Mid)

    Lady Sylvia Hermon (Down North)

    In favour

    127 Conservatives

    Stuart Andrew (Pudsey)

    Greg Barker (Bexhill & Battle)

    John Baron (Basildon & Billericay)

    Gavin Barwell (Croydon Central)

    Richard Benyon (Newbury)

    Crispin Blunt (Reigate)

    Nick Boles (Grantham & Stamford)

    Peter Bottomley (Worthing West)

    Karen Bradley (Staffordshire Moorlands)

    James Brokenshire (Old Bexley & Sidcup)

    Aidan Burley (Cannock Chase)

    Conor Burns (Bournemouth West)

    Alistair Burt (Bedfordshire North East)

    Dan Byles (Warwickshire North)

    David Cameron (Witney)

    Neil Carmichael (Stroud)

    James Clappison (Hertsmere)

    Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells)

    Kenneth Clarke (Rushcliffe)

    Damian Collins (Folkestone & Hythe)

    Oliver Colville (Plymouth Sutton & Devonport)

    Tracey Crouch (Chatham & Aylesford)

    Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood)

    James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East)

    Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton)

    Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford & Woodford Green)

    Michael Ellis (Northampton North)

    Jane Ellison (Battersea)

    Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)

    Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster)

    Mike Freer (Finchley & Golders Green)

    Lorraine Fullbrook (South Ribble)

    David Gauke (Hertfordshire South West)

    Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton)

    Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park)

    Michael Gove (Surrey Heath)

    Richard Graham (Gloucester)

    Helen Grant (Maidstone & The Weald)

    Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell)

    Damian Green (Ashford)

    Justine Greening (Putney)

    Ben Gummer (Ipswich)

    Sam Gyimah (Surrey East)

    William Hague (Richmond (Yorks))

    Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon)

    Matthew Hancock (Suffolk West)

    Greg Hands (Chelsea & Fulham)

    Mark Harper (Forest of Dean)

    Richard Harrington (Watford)

    Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry)

    Charles Hendry (Wealden)

    Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs)

    Damian Hinds (Hampshire East)

    George Hollingbery (Meon Valley)

    Kris Hopkins (Keighley)

    John Howell (Henley)

    Jeremy Hunt (Surrey South West)

    Margot James (Stourbridge)

    Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove)

    Bernard Jenkin (Harwich & Essex North)

    Jo Johnson (Orpington)

    Andrew Jones (Harrogate & Knaresborough)

    Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham)

    Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown)

    Andrew Lansley (Cambridgeshire South)

    Jessica Lee (Erewash)

    Oliver Letwin (Dorset West)

    Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth)

    Peter Luff (Worcestershire Mid)

    Jason McCartney (Colne Valley)

    Mary Macleod (Brentford & Isleworth)

    Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales)

    Francis Maude (Horsham)

    Theresa May (Maidenhead)

    Mark Menzies (Fylde)

    Maria Miller (Basingstoke)

    Nigel Mills (Amber Valley)

    Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield)

    Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North)

    Stephen Mosley (Chester, City of)

    David Mowat (Warrington South)

    David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale)

    Andrew Murrison (Wiltshire South West)

    Brooks Newmark (Braintree)

    Sarah Newton (Truro & Falmouth)

    Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster & Fleetwood)

    Guy Opperman (Hexham)

    George Osborne (Tatton)

    Richard Ottaway (Croydon South)

    John Penrose (Weston-Super-Mare)

    Andrew Percy (Brigg & Goole)

    Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar)

    Chris Pincher (Tamworth)

    Daniel Poulter (Suffolk Central & Ipswich North)

    Dominic Raab (Esher & Walton)

    Mark Reckless (Rochester & Strood)

    Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Kent Mid)

    Amber Rudd (Hastings & Rye)

    Laura Sandys (Thanet South)

    Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield)

    Alok Sharma (Reading West)

    Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness)

    Keith Simpson (Broadland)

    Chris Skidmore (Kingswood)

    Chloe Smith (Norwich North)

    Julian Smith (Skipton & Ripon)

    Nicholas Soames (Sussex Mid)

    Anna Soubry (Broxtowe)

    Caroline Spelman (Meriden)

    Andrew Stephenson (Pendle)

    Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South)

    Rory Stewart (Penrith & The Border)

    Desmond Swayne (New Forest West)

    Hugo Swire (Devon East)

    Justin Tomlinson (Swindon North)

    Elizabeth Truss (Norfolk South West)

    Ed Vaizey (Wantage)

    Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet)

    Charles Walker (Broxbourne)

    Robin Walker (Worcester)

    Dame Angela Watkinson (Hornchurch & Upminster)

    Mike Weatherley (Hove)

    Chris White (Warwick & Leamington)

    David Willetts (Havant)

    Sarah Wollaston (Totnes)

    Tim Yeo (Suffolk South)

    Sir George Young (Hampshire North West)

    217 Labour MPs

    Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington)

    Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East & Saddleworth)

    Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East)

    Douglas Alexander (Paisley & Renfrewshire South)

    Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East)

    Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green & Bow)

    Graham Allen (Nottingham North)

    Dave Anderson (Blaydon)

    Mr Jon Ashworth (Leicester South)

    Ian Austin (Dudley North)

    Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West)

    Willie Bain (Glasgow North East)

    Ed Balls (Morley & Outwood)

    Gordon Banks (Ochil & Perthshire South)

    Kevin Barron (Rother Valley)

    Hugh Bayley (York Central)

    Dame Margaret Beckett (Derby South)

    Hilary Benn (Leeds Central)

    Luciana Berger (Liverpool Wavertree)

    Clive Betts (Sheffield South East)

    Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham, City of)

    Hazel Blears (Salford & Eccles)

    Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South & Cleveland East)

    Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central)

    David Blunkett (Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough)

    Ben Bradshaw (Exeter)

    Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West)

    Lyn Brown (West Ham)

    Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East)

    Russell Brown (Dumfries & Galloway)

    Chris Bryant (Rhondda)

    Karen Buck (Westminster North)

    Richard Burden (Birmingham Northfield)

    Andy Burnham (Leigh)

    Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill)

    Alan Campbell (Tynemouth)

    Martin Caton (Gower)

    Sarah Champion (Rotherham)

    Jenny Chapman (Darlington)

    Katy Clark (Ayrshire North & Arran)

    Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley)

    Vernon Coaker (Gedling)

    Ann Coffey (Stockport)

    Michael Connarty (Linlithgow & Falkirk East)

    Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford)

    Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North)

    Mary Creagh (Wakefield)

    Stella Creasy (Walthamstow)

    Jon Cruddas (Dagenham & Rainham)

    John Cryer (Leyton & Wanstead)

    Jim Cunningham (Coventry South)

    Margaret Curran (Glasgow East)

    Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe)

    Simon Danczuk (Rochdale)

    Alistair Darling (Edinburgh South West)

    Wayne David (Caerphilly)

    Ian Davidson (Glasgow South West)

    Geraint Davies (Swansea West)

    Gloria De Piero (Ashfield)

    John Denham (Southampton Itchen)

    Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras)

    Thomas Docherty (Dunfermline & Fife West)

    Frank Doran (Aberdeen North)

    Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South & Penarth)

    Jim Dowd (Lewisham West & Penge)

    Gemma Doyle (Dunbartonshire West)

    Jack Dromey (Birmingham Erdington)

    Michael Dugher (Barnsley East)

    Angela Eagle (Wallasey)

    Maria Eagle (Garston & Halewood)

    Clive Efford (Eltham)

    Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central)

    Louise Ellman (Liverpool Riverside)

    Natascha Engel (Derbyshire North East)

    Chris Evans (Islwyn)

    Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

    Frank Field (Birkenhead)

    Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar & Limehouse)

    Caroline Flint (Don Valley)

    Paul Flynn (Newport West)

    Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield)

    Hywel Francis (Aberavon)

    Mike Gapes (Ilford South)

    Barry Gardiner (Brent North)

    Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East)

    Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland)

    Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen & Hamilton West)

    Kate Green (Stretford & Urmston)

    Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South)

    Nia Griffith (Llanelli)

    Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish)

    Peter Hain (Neath)

    David Hamilton (Midlothian)

    Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East)

    David Hanson (Delyn)

    Harriet Harman (Camberwell & Peckham)

    Tom Harris (Glasgow South)

    John Healey (Wentworth & Dearne)

    Mark Hendrick (Preston)

    Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow)

    Meg Hillier (Hackney South & Shoreditch)

    Julie Hilling (Bolton West)

    Margaret Hodge (Barking)

    Sharon Hodgson (Washington & Sunderland West)

    Kate Hoey (Vauxhall)

    Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North)

    George Howarth (Knowsley)

    Tristram Hunt (Stoke-on-Trent Central)

    Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore)

    Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Kilburn)

    Sian James (Swansea East)

    Cathy Jamieson (Kilmarnock & Loudoun)

    Major Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central)

    Alan Johnson (Hull West & Hessle)

    Diana Johnson (Hull North)

    Graham Jones (Hyndburn)

    Helen Jones (Warrington North)

    Kevan Jones (Durham North)

    Susan Elan Jones (Clwyd South)

    Dame Tessa Jowell (Dulwich & West Norwood)

    Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester Gorton)

    Barbara Keeley (Worsley & Eccles South)

    Elizabeth Kendall (Leicester West)

    Sadiq Khan (Tooting)

    David Lammy (Tottenham)

    Ian Lavery (Wansbeck)

    Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith)

    Christopher Leslie (Nottingham East)

    Ivan Lewis (Bury South)

    Andy Love (Edmonton)

    Ian Lucas (Wrexham)

    Steve McCabe (Birmingham Selly Oak)

    Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East)

    Gregg McClymont (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East)

    Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham & Morden)

    Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough)

    John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington)

    Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East)

    Alison McGovern (Wirral South)

    Anne McGuire (Stirling)

    Ann McKechin (Glasgow North)

    Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North)

    Fiona Mactaggart (Slough)

    Shabana Mahmood (Birmingham Ladywood)

    Seema Malhotra (Feltham & Heston)

    John Mann (Bassetlaw)

    Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South)

    Alan Meale (Mansfield)

    David Miliband (South Shields)

    Ed Miliband (Doncaster North)

    Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston)

    Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby)

    Madeleine Moon (Bridgend)

    Jessica Morden (Newport East)

    Graeme Morrice (Livingston)

    Grahame Morris (Easington)

    Meg Munn (Sheffield Heeley)

    Jim Murphy (Renfrewshire East)

    Ian Murray (Edinburgh South)

    Lisa Nandy (Wigan)

    Pamela Nash (Airdrie & Shotts)

    Fiona O’Donnell (East Lothian)

    Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central)

    Sandra Osborne (Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock)

    Albert Owen (Ynys Mon)

    Teresa Pearce (Erith & Thamesmead)

    Toby Perkins (Chesterfield)

    Bridget Phillipson (Houghton & Sunderland South)

    Lucy Powell (Manchester Central)

    Nick Raynsford (Greenwich & Woolwich)

    Jamie Reed (Copeland)

    Steve Reed (Croydon North)

    Rachel Reeves (Leeds West)

    Emma Reynolds (Wolverhampton North East)

    Jonathan Reynolds (Stalybridge & Hyde)

    Linda Riordan (Halifax)

    John Robertson (Glasgow North West)

    Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West)

    Steve Rotheram (Liverpool Walton)

    Lindsay Roy (Glenrothes)

    Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd)

    Joan Ruddock (Lewisham Deptford)

    Anas Sarwar (Glasgow Central)

    Andy Sawford (Corby)

    Alison Seabeck (Plymouth Moor View)

    Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield)

    Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)

    Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith)

    Andrew Smith (Oxford East)

    Angela Smith (Penistone & Stocksbridge)

    Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent)

    Owen Smith (Pontypridd)

    John Spellar (Warley)

    Jack Straw (Blackburn)

    Graham Stringer (Blackley & Broughton)

    Gisela Stuart (Birmingham Edgbaston)

    Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South)

    Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside)

    Gareth Thomas (Harrow West)

    Emily Thornberry (Islington South & Finsbury)

    Jon Trickett (Hemsworth)

    Karl Turner (Hull East)

    Stephen Twigg (Liverpool West Derby)

    Chuka Umunna (Streatham)

    Keith Vaz (Leicester East)

    Valerie Vaz (Walsall South)

    Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North)

    Tom Watson (West Bromwich East)

    Dave Watts (St Helens North)

    Alan Whitehead (Southampton Test)

    Chris Williamson (Derby North)

    Phil Wilson (Sedgefield)

    David Winnick (Walsall North)

    Rosie Winterton (Doncaster Central)

    John Woodcock (Barrow & Furness)

    David Wright (Telford)

    Iain Wright (Hartlepool)

    44 Liberal Democrats

    Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey)

    Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington)

    Annette Brooke (Dorset Mid & Poole North)

    Jeremy Browne (Taunton Deane)

    Malcolm Bruce (Gordon)

    Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam)

    Lorely Burt (Solihull)

    Vincent Cable (Twickenham)

    Sir Menzies Campbell (Fife North East)

    Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland)

    Nick Clegg (Sheffield Hallam)

    Michael Crockart (Edinburgh West)

    Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton)

    Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale)

    Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green)

    Don Foster (Bath)

    Andrew George (St Ives)

    Stephen Gilbert (St Austell & Newquay)

    Duncan Hames (Chippenham)

    Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South)

    Sir Nick Harvey (Devon North)

    David Heath (Somerton & Frome)

    John Hemming (Birmingham Yardley)

    Simon Hughes (Bermondsey & Old Southwark)

    Mark Hunter (Cheadle)

    Julian Huppert (Cambridge)

    Norman Lamb (Norfolk North)

    David Laws (Yeovil)

    John Leech (Manchester Withington)

    Stephen Lloyd (Eastbourne)

    Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk)

    Tessa Munt (Wells)

    Alan Reid (Argyll & Bute)

    Dan Rogerson (Cornwall North)

    Bob Russell (Colchester)

    Adrian Sanders (Torbay)

    Sir Robert Smith (Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine)

    Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove)

    Ian Swales (Redcar)

    Jo Swinson (Dunbartonshire East)

    Steve Webb (Thornbury & Yate)

    Mark Williams (Ceredigion)

    Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire)

    Stephen Williams (Bristol West)

    Simon Wright (Norwich South)

    Others

    3 Plaid Cymru MPs:

    Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr)

    Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

    Hywel Williams (Arfon)

    Green MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion)

    The Social Democratic and Labour Party’s Mark Durkan (Foyle)

    Alliance MP Naomi Long (Belfast East)

    Independent Eric Joyce (Falkirk)

    Respect’s George Galloway (Bradford West)

    Registered abstention (by voting both in favour and against)

    5 Conservatives

    Angie Bray (Ealing Central and Acton)

    Andrea Leadsom (South Northamptonshire)

    Phillip Lee (Bracknell)

    Charlotte Leslie (Bristol North West)

    Rob Wilson (Reading East)

  • Opinion: Same Sex Marriage; No Brainer Or Political Football

    The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill is back before the House of Commons on 5th February.

    So what does the Bill do? Clause 1(1) declares simply that the ‘marriage of same sex couples is lawful’. So far, so good. Clause 9 provides that a civil partnership can be converted into a marriage. So far, rather better. The problems, some might say, start at this point. In somewhat convoluted language, clause 1(3) says that nothing in the canon law of the Church of England providing that marriage can only be between one man and one woman shall be contrary to any other law (i.e. the Church of England’s current ban on same-sex marriages will remain lawful). The Church in Wales is treated rather differently. Clause 8 provides that the law will be changed if and when its Governing Body decides to allow same-sex marriages in the future. No such provision is included for the Church of England. Whilst I am not a canon lawyer, I am told that were the Church of England to amend canon law to allow for the celebration of same-sex marriages, the law (i.e. the real law) would be amended to allow for this (with or without Parliament’s approval). I struggle with the subtleties of this, and suspect the real reason why express provision is not made for the Church of England to ‘opt-in’ later if it wants to is political. The issue of same-sex marriages is now the Church of England’s problem, and given recent debates upon the issue of women bishops and ‘celibate’ gay bishops, I wouldn’t hold your breath (unless you are prepared to do so for another 20 years).

    Finally, nothing in the draft Bill obliges any religious celebrant or place of worship (of whatever religious persuasion) to celebrate same-sex marriages unless they wish to do so. This is provided for in clause 2 and gives rise to the ‘opt-in’ provisions in clauses 4 and 5. Although this has caused consternation for some, I am tempted to justify it as a matter of practicality. However, such logic would also allow discrimination in other spheres on the ground of gender or race, which cannot be right. In truth, a balance has been struck between attempting to avoid discrimination against same-sex couples on the one hand and religious freedom and tolerance on the other.

    As a lawyer, I can live with the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, although there is certainly room for improvement. What concerns me – not as a lawyer, but as a gay man – is that the Bill and the most vocal opposition to it are apparently (party) political. I imagine the government will be pleased that I am pleased that draft legislation has been brought forward to remove what some (including me) consider an obvious discrimination against same-sex couples. I don’t buy into the idea that civil partnerships are ‘good enough’. If a Jewish couple or a black couple or a disabled couple were only permitted to enter into a civil partnership and were denied the right to marry, I doubt anyone could justify such overt discrimination on the basis that a civil partnership is a marriage in all but name. I imagine most of those who object to same-sex marriage on religious grounds are appalled to see their objections being overshadowed by regional party chairman threatening to deselect MPs if they don’t vote against the Bill. The real debate is at risk of being lost in internal party politics.

     

    by Philip Marshall QC

    More about the author.

    Philip specialises in divorce and matrimonial finance cases. Called in 1989, he was made a QC in 2012. He is usually instructed in ‘big money’ cases (with 3 cases in the House of Lords) and has extensive experience of drafting pre-nuptial agreements and advising in civil partnerships disputes.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • UK Christians Should Rally Against Gay Marriage

    Christian People’s Alliance leader Sid Cordle has called on the United Kingdom’s Christians to demonstrate against gay marriage.

    (more…)

  • MariagePourTous Trends High In France

    AS Reports emerge of an organised march for marriage equality in France the hashtag #MariagePourTous (MarriageForAll) trends high in France.

    Hundreds of people have taken to twitter to tweet their support and pictures for the marriage equality bill which President Hollande has said he will introduce into French law.

    One Twitter user, Katia ‏@AbsolutelyKatia tweeted:

    MARCH today in Paris! It’s about the fundamental rights this country is so proud of: liberté, egalité, fraternité. #mariagepourtous

    Hundreds of people have responded to the call to publicly demonstrate their support for the marriage equality bill.

    The French bill which establishes marriage for all was subject to mass protests two weeks ago, when a reported 340,000 people turned up on the street of Paris for ‘La Manif Pour Tous’ (Demo for all)

    Supporters of the bill have asked the President not to yield to the pressure of the opponents and maintain the establishment gay marriage under the law.

    More information can be found at www.pridemap.fr

  • Score Of People Turn For Pro Gay Marriage Rally In France

    Reports are coming in of an organised march for marriage equality in France, as hundreds of people respond to the call to publicly demonstrate their support for the marriage equality bill.

    (more…)

  • French ELLE Magazine: Marriage For All

    In stark contrast to events that filled Parisan streets last week, French Elle Magazine to publish ‘Marriage For All” issue.

    (more…)

  • Mass Protest Of Anti-Gay Marriage In Paris

    Reports of up to 340,000 people in France turned up to an anti-gay marriage protest in the country’s capital, Paris.

    (more…)

  • Tory MP calls Dr. Jessen TV programmes “Chav”

    Conservative MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson, who recently described plans to legalise gay marriage as an ‘outrage’ and a ‘disgrace’ slammed television programmes by Doctor Christian Jessen as ‘chav’ earlier today via the mini social networking site Twitter.

    The remark was made after Doctor Christian Jessen Tweeted a link to the Guardian newspaper’s website where David Davies, MP for Monmouth, had been interviewed by Decca Aitkenhead about gay marriage issues, including whether legalising same sex marriages would lead to a change in sex education in schools.

    Doctor Jessen tweeted:

    “Have a read of this interview and then consider that this man is an MP who makes decisions affecting yr life. Worrying”

    Mr Jackson, who has just under 4,700 follwers on Twitter replied:

    “Yes maybe he shouldn’t be representing his constituents as he sees fit but making crap chav TV like you”

    Doctor Jessen is a presenter and sexual health advocate for popular programmes such as Embarrassing Bodies, Supersize Vs. Super-Skinny and Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer programme which aimed to bring awareness of sensitive health issues to a television audience.

    In an interview with this magazine Doctor Jessen said:

    “The show’s been on so long that a lot of people are very firm believers in it and want to be part of that whole raising awareness of their condition and experience. Others just haven’t got a great GP and they’re just a bit fed up so if coming on TV means they can get their chronic problem, which they’ve had for many years, sorted, then that’s fine by them.”

    Twitter users responded angrily to the outburst from MP. User Jamie Smy ›@dotsmy tweeted:

    “Ooh I love it when a Tory drops the c-bomb. Reminds everyone what you REALLY think of the working class”

    And Fran Crinnion @Franomaly added:

    “I forgot only chavs get testicular/breast cancer & so are the only ones who need to learn how to check for it.”

    Dr. Jessen then replied with

    “So Tory MP @SJacksonMP calls my TV viewers chavs and so shows how beautifully in touch with the public he is. Surprised? Not a lot…”

  • Petition launches to legal recognise Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group

    Petition launches to legal recognise Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group

    A petition has gone live on the Whitehouse’s website, asking the Obama Administration to legally recognise the infamous Westboro Bapist Church as a hate group.

    Westboro Baptist Church
    CREDIT: Westboro Baptist Church

    The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is a small, independent fundamentalist group based in Topeka, Kan, known for its extreme ideologies especially those against homosexuals, the military and Jewish people – and hosts a number of websites such as, godhatesfags.com,godhatesislam.com and priestsrapeboys.com.

    The group has recently come under fire after MargiePhelps a memeber of the WBC announced on twitter that members would picket the funerals of the 26 murdered teachers and children of the Newtown massacre which happened last Friday in Connecticut, USA. Most of the children killed by the twenty year old gunman were between the ages of six and seven.

    WBC has outraged many people by blaming the massacre in Sandy Hook on the state’s equal marriage policy.

    The petition, which can be found on the Whitehouse.gov website has already gained over 175,000 signatories, since its creation on the 14th December..

    It reads:

    Legally recognize Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group.

    This group has been recognized as a hate group by organizations, such as The Southern Poverty Law Center, and has repeatedly displayed the actions typical of hate groups.

    Their actions have been directed at many groups, including homosexuals, military, Jewish people and even other Christians. They pose a threat to the welfare and treatment of others and will not improve without some form of imposed regulation.

  • COMMENT | New Rights But Illegal

    I don’t know what just happened but the words ‘illegal’ and ‘banned’ have once again united themselves with homosexuality, thanks to this government’s expediency in changing marriage laws. It feels as though we’ve moved one step forward towards equality and ten steps back as gays and lesbians still can’t call themselves equal under the law.

    You have the right to get married… Just not where the heterosexuals do it
    Yes, even in 2012 as the world came to town to watch our spectacular, all-inclusive Olympic extravaganza and marvelled at our strident moves towards fairness and equality – homosexuals are still ‘locked’ out of the legal system.
    Culture Secretary Maria Miller outlined a proposal of “quadruple locks” to keep homosexuals still very much distinct from our heterosexual brothers and sisters, and within these locks we also lose some of our equality rights as well. Does this sound like a step forward to you? Does this sound like something you want done in your name?
    When Prime Minister David Cameron announced that “gay” marriage would become legal in this government’s term, the gay community had never felt so welcomed by a Tory premier, but it came with caveats. These four get-out clauses were outlined yesterday and in her statement Mrs Miller promised a “quadruple lock” to protect religious freedoms involving:
    1) No religious organisation or individual minister can be compelled to marry same-sex couples or to permit this to happen on their premises
    2) Making it unlawful for religious organisations or their ministers to marry same-sex couples unless their organisation’s governing body has expressly opted in to provisions for doing so
    3) Amending the 2010 Equality Act to ensure no discrimination claim can be brought against religious organisations or individual ministers for refusing to marry a same-sex couple
    4) The legislation explicitly stating that it will be illegal for the Church of England and the Church in Wales to marry same-sex couples and that Canon Law, which bans same-sex weddings, will continue to apply
    In essence, anti-gay sentiment can still rear its ugly head from the pews and altars of un-’opted in’ churches, bigots can still hide behind their bibles and an amendment to the Equalities Act 2010 which leaves us with less rights than before – and of course we’re still illegal in the Church Of England – an organisation which has been developed and presided over for centuries, with some remarkably ‘godless’ acts including divorce, to suit. Lest we forget.
    So you can now have your gay sex with your same sex partner in the houses of Christian B&Bs but you definitely can’t tell a congregation of loved ones, that you love, cherish and adore your same-sex partner in the eyes of your God or a un-‘opted in’ priest.
    For me the question of marriage equality has never been about whether a man and a man or a woman and a woman should get married in a Church – it was about the naming rights for the partnership between two people. I don’t want to get civilly partnered, nor do I want to be dissolved should the need arise. Firstly, anything with the word ‘civilly’ in it sounds dreadfully 70’s and like a council initiative; secondly, the other is best left for the Solpadeine plunked in ice cool water for the day after our marriage.
    In a perfect world couples regardless of the orientation of sexuality should have a partnership that suits them. Civil or Marriage. Heterosexual or Homosexual.
    This current fudging of the law has once again brought religion in to marriage and put the words illegal and gay in the same sentence. Marriage – has always been a contract. Contracts are legal. Legal is politics and people. Again the gay community find themselves in the bright and unfaltering light of religious judgement and I for one am fed up of it. I want subdued backlit lighting, from John Lewis and the right to call my relationship to my partner a marriage. Isn’t it time we separated Marriage and religion for everyone?
    Apparently, we’re still not good enough for God(s), and his/her various places of worship. Just who is getting God’s messages on this issue? We’re not still using that dusty old book introduced in the current vernacular in 1538 to base our judgements on equality for every man, woman and beast on it, are we? If so we’d better start untangling our entire legal system.
    And incase you’re wondering on what grounds you can separate from your newly wedded husband – adultery isn’t one of them. The government says it has no plans to change the definition of adultery or non-consummation of your marriage. That’s right, the sex or the affairs we may have as homosexuals aren’t even equal in the eyes of the law. By process of elimination does this mean that gay marriages will be recognised by law anyway if we can’t consummate, even if we bugger in front of Christian B&B owners? This means that neither can be cited as grounds for divorce.
    We’re still very much on the periphery. Always the bridesmaid – never the husband in the eyes of the congregation.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • A Post-Dated Wedding Invite To Mr David Cameron

    I have been engaged to my partner for the past four years however I do not want to tie the knot just yet. It is not because I am afraid of commitment, in fact quite the opposite as it was me who went on bended knee in the pouring rain to propose to my man.

    The reason is that I want to be married, and by this I do not mean a ‘civil partnership’ that was offered up as a consolation prize back in 2004. Although it was a huge step forward and aided many of my friends to express their love and commitment in front of their friends and family, there is no getting away from the fact that we are still not equal to straight couples.
    So with David Cameron announcing today that he didn’t want gay people to be excluded from a great institution like marriage and actively showed his support for equal marriage, I am now re-considering our wedding plans. I can only imagine this is going to instil the fear of god into my partner as the last estimated cost came into a scary looking figure, however he will not be the only one having sleepless nights.
    With the church and many people within the Tory party still strongly opposed, it does beg the question as to whether any progress will be made in the near future. However when it does finally pass, and I am confident it will, there will be an invitation to Mr Cameron and his wife, although I can only assume I won’t be sending it to 10 Downing Street.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.