[QUOTE]Conservative MPs will be allowed a free vote on gay marriage, senior party sources have told the BBC.
A formal consultation on how civil marriage will be reformed in England and Wales began earlier this year.
Prime Minister David Cameron has personally backed the proposal to allow same-sex couples to marry, but the plans have been controversial.
A free vote means that MPs are allowed to vote as they wish and not as directed by party whips.
Current legislation allows same-sex couples to enter into a civil partnership, but not civil marriage.
BBC political correspondent Vicki Young said that although Mr Cameron had personally backed the plans for civil marriage, some MPs in his party saw it as a Liberal Democrat priority.
At the Conservative Party conference in 2011, Mr Cameron told delegates: "Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other.
"So I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative."
But a number of Conservative MPs have criticised the plans.
In a letter to a constituent published on the Politicshome website, Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson said: "Having considered this matter carefully, I am afraid that I have come to the decision not to support gay marriage."
Children's Minister Tim Loughton has also expressed doubts about the plan, writing on his website: "I have to say that my instinct is not to support these proposals and, as it stands, I intend to vote against measures to legalise gay marriage."
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said that gay marriage is not a priority and the government has to focus "on the things that matter to the people in this country".[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18185135[/url]
That's fine, we can expect pretty much all of Labour, and literally all of the Lib Dems to vote for it, so we only need a fraction of Tory MPs in order for it to pass. And of course it's all dependent on who actually turns up to vote, I reckon some MPs would rather not vote at all than vote no and risk being called a homophobe etc
[quote]Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said that gay marriage is not a priority and the government has to focus "on the things that matter to the people in this country".[/quote]
What? Like fair marriage? These people are so out of touch it's not even funny.
[QUOTE=Sh33p;36076645]What? Like fair marriage? These people are so out of touch it's not even funny.[/QUOTE]
It's what they say if they don't like something but don't want to admit it.
[QUOTE=NeonpieDFTBA;36075492][url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18185135[/url][/QUOTE]
[quote]Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said that gay marriage is not a priority and the government has to focus "on the things that matter to the people in this country".[/quote]
Yeah, you know what? Fuck you. Firstly, gay marriage matters quite a lot to some people within the country, for obvious reasons, and it's not like this is going to be a massive drain on government time and money that could be used for other things - surely they just pretty much have to say "yeah gay marriage is OK now" and that's that.
[QUOTE]Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said that gay marriage is not a priority and the government has to focus "on the things that matter to the people in this country".[/QUOTE]
it's things like this why I'm aiming for a job in a high position within the government, I want to be in a position to talk to these kinds of people and show them that, whilst I respect their opinion, they're being retarded
[quote]Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said that gay marriage is not a priority and the government has to focus "on the things that matter to the people in this country".[/quote]
You heard it here first everyone, giving people equal rights doesn't matter.
Well shit, at least they're talking about it. It's more than they've been doing for the last few decades.
I'm hopeful about this, even if they are just doing it on the back of Obama's recent support of gay marriage.
[QUOTE=Strike 86;36078058]Well shit, at least they're talking about it. It's more than they've been doing for the last few decades.
I'm hopeful about this, [b]even if they are just doing it on the back of Obama's recent support of gay marriage[/b].[/QUOTE]
They committed to introducing gay marriage in September last year, and Cameron declared his personal support in October at the Conservative party conference
[url]http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1126978[/url]
[QUOTE=Cone;36076880]it's things like this why I'm aiming for a job in a high position within the government, I want to be in a position to talk to these kinds of people and show them that, whilst I respect their opinion, they're being retarded[/QUOTE]
You couldn't call him a retard in parliament because it is against the rules, and you would have to withdraw it or be kicked out. However, there was a case where an MP said that "half of the people on the opposite bench are liars", and when told to take it back, he replaced it with "half of the people on the opposite bench aren't liars".
[QUOTE=NeonpieDFTBA;36079423]You couldn't call him a retard in parliament because it is against the rules, and you would have to withdraw it or be kicked out. However, there was a case where an MP said that "half of the people on the opposite bench are liars", and when told to take it back, he replaced it with "half of the people on the opposite bench aren't liars".[/QUOTE]
I totally thought not being able to call someone a liar in Parliament was a myth, but this post reminded me to check and it's true
[QUOTE=NeonpieDFTBA;36079423]You couldn't call him a retard in parliament because it is against the rules, and you would have to withdraw it or be kicked out. However, there was a case where an MP said that "half of the people on the opposite bench are liars", and when told to take it back, he replaced it with "half of the people on the opposite bench aren't liars".[/QUOTE]
well not literally say they're retarded obviously, but objectively prove to them they're wrong until all their friends silently agree they're being retarded.
Why not pass it? More tax money from more marriages.
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