Gay marriage bill: Labour deal saves David Cameron

TORY divisions over plans to legalise gay marriage last night saw 56 of the party’s MPs vote to wreck the government’s proposals by allowing straight couples to take up civil partnerships.
David Cameron: Saved by Labour deal on gay marriage. Picture: APDavid Cameron: Saved by Labour deal on gay marriage. Picture: AP
David Cameron: Saved by Labour deal on gay marriage. Picture: AP

A behind-the-scenes deal between the UK government and Labour had been put in place to spare David Cameron a humiliating defeat amid fears about 140 of his own Tory MPs would vote for the amendment put forward by Conservative rebels.

However, the motion was ultimately defeated by 305 votes to 70 after far fewer Conservatives than expected backed the motion which was seen as a vote against the Prime Minister.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Faced with a possible Commons defeat, ministers had adopted a Labour amendment to immediately review allowing heterosexual couples to tie the knot in civil partnerships.

The government successfully saw its own amendment to review extending civil partnerships to all couples after five years go through by 391 votes to 57, majority 334, while Labour’s tweak, forcing it to carry out the review as soon as possible, was approved without a vote.

Seventy MPs then voted on an amendment tabled by Tory former minister Tim Loughton, which would have extended civil partnerships for all couples, regardless of sexuality.

Ministers had warned that if passed, the measure could derail the controversial Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill as it would have left the Treasury facing pension liabilities of up to £4 billion.

In earlier votes last night, Tory MPs made up a majority of the 150 who voted to allow registrars to opt out of performing gay marriages on grounds of conscience, and the 148 who backed a freedom of religion amendment. Both amendments were defeated, but only with the support of Labour.

Yesterday’s angry exchanges in the Commons over same-sex marriage came as a group of more than 30 current and former local party chairmen wrote to Mr Cameron to warn that the bill would drive Tory voters to Ukip and make a Conservative election victory in 2015 impossible.

Bob Woollard, chairman of the Conservative Grassroots group, said: “Same-sex marriage is really a tipping point – a bellwether issue if you like. People have just said, ‘I’ve had enough, I’m off, I will never vote Conservative again’.”

Mr Loughton denied his amendment was designed to derail the bill, insisting it was a matter of equality. “If the government think it is right to extend marriage to everyone, then it has to be right to extend civil partnerships to everyone, too.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This can only be good for improving stability for many more of the near three million opposite-sex couples who choose to cohabit but are in no formally recognised relationship.”

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper urged MPs not to allow the gay marriage legislation to be “sucked into the vortex of Tory infighting”.

“Labour votes have got this bill through so far and Labour votes will get this through the next couple of days, when the government is deeply divided and fighting itself,” she said.

“We are trying to find a sensible way through which allows us to make that progress and make sure this bill is not derailed.”

Under Labour’s plans, the consultation on “straight” civil partnerships could begin immediately, even before the bill completes its passage.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it was Liberal Democrat policy that civil partnerships should be available to heterosexual couples, but said he would not back amendments that would derail the bill.

Tory board rejects inquiry into ‘swivel-eyed loons’ insult claim

THE Conservative Party board has rejected a call for an investigation into whether Tory co-chairman Lord Feldman described grassroots activists as “swivel-eyed loons”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brian Binley MP said he had urged an inquiry at a meeting yesterday, but it was “pretty overwhelmingly rejected”.

The Conservative leadership has rallied around Lord Feldman in the row over newspaper reports that an ally of the Prime Minister described local party associations as “mad, swivel-eyed loons” who forced MPs to adopt hardline stances.

The peer, who was not named in the reports, was forced to deny making the comments after intense internet speculation.

“I did propose, as I said I would, a form of investigation into this matter, which was pretty overwhelmingly rejected,” Mr Binley said.

The board was “unanimous in its support” for Lord Feldman”, he added.

Related topics: