UK gay marriage bill returns for two-day debate and final Commons vote - Polidicks

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22588954[/url] [quote]Nick Clegg has warned against attempts to "hijack" proposals to legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales ahead of key votes in the House of Commons. Tory critics have tabled an amendment saying heterosexual couples should be allowed to have civil partnerships, if gay couples are allowed to get married. Ministers say the move, which Labour may back, would delay the whole bill. Mr Clegg said he backed extending civil partnerships in principle but would not allow the bill to be "derailed".[/quote]

If this doesnt pass... i will be most annoyed to say the least...

[quote] Tory critics have tabled an amendment saying heterosexual couples should be allowed to have civil partnerships, if gay couples are allowed to get married. Mr Clegg said he backed extending civil partnerships in principle but would not allow the bill to be "derailed". [/quote] Such a provision should have been in there from the start, but the whole system of marriage is quite a mess so I guess this will do for now.

I hope it gets passed

It sounds like they're intentionally delaying the bill with the equal rights for civil partnerships.

The 'wrecking amendment' crisis [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22588954]has been resolved[/url] and Tory backbenchers left crying and wailing after the failure of their last-ditch effort to derail the bill. MPs agreed 391-57 to hold a 'speedy review' into the future of civil partnerships, rather than introducing straight partnerships immediately which would have delayed the implementation of the whole bill. The bill will now proceed to a final Commons vote tomorrow (which it will easily pass) and then it's off to the House of Lords.

It would be embarrassing if it does not pass

If it doesn't go through now it'll go through again "if" the Tories are elected again. Like all good things they promise.

I understand the vote though. I agree that same-sex couples should get equal rights when they're married, but the backbenchers opposing the vote say that if the bill passes, they will actually get more due to the government throwing the definition of marriage away (changing the definition of anything is a really strange thing for a government t odo. This could go anywhere) to include same-sex couples, but with them still being allowed civil partnerships without heterosexual couples getting them. The bill also says that everywhere by law must offer same-sex couples the chance to marry on their premises if others are allowed to marry there EXCEPT religious premises IF they wish to opt out. The argument against that section of the the bill is that within weeks, someone will go to the ECHR to fight it as it would have become a law, then the whole thing will unravel. Lastly, this was never a manifesto promise by the Conservative party who are still the majority party, and given the state of the economy, unemployment, food banks etc. a lot of the public are confused as to why so much effort and money has been put in when it makes very little effect. My opinion (as if anyone cares), is that as much as I'd like to see equality, I hope that [I]this particular bill[/I] doesn't go through. It's going to cause huge legal problems if it does. If it doesn't: good. I just don't trust the Lib Dems to have written it very well.

a debate to see if consenting adults can get married? biggest crock of shit ever. equal human rights for all.

as the great leader nigel farage once said, "homosexual couples dont deserve marriage because of immigrants". and i'll stand by him with this decision til the end.

[QUOTE=BAR;40717024]It would be embarrassing if it does not pass[/QUOTE] even the French have it

[QUOTE=Super_Nova;40717833]a debate to see if consenting adults can get married? biggest crock of shit ever. equal human rights for all.[/QUOTE] Marriage isn't a human right.

[QUOTE=Scrimp;40717980]Marriage isn't a human right.[/QUOTE] it still should be legal.

[QUOTE=Scrimp;40717980]Marriage isn't a human right.[/QUOTE] but the right to fair and equal treatment is

[QUOTE=Scrimp;40717980]Marriage isn't a human right.[/QUOTE] The right to have a family is tho, which is pretty much the same thing.

[QUOTE=Scrimp;40717980]Marriage isn't a human right.[/QUOTE] article sixteen of the universal declaration of human rights [url]https://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/[/url]

[QUOTE=Memobot;40717793]I understand the vote though. I agree that same-sex couples should get equal rights when they're married, but the backbenchers opposing the vote say that if the bill passes, they will actually get more due to the government throwing the definition of marriage away (changing the definition of anything is a really strange thing for a government t odo. This could go anywhere) to include same-sex couples, but with them still being allowed civil partnerships without heterosexual couples getting them.[/QUOTE] It's a good thing they're launching a review into the future of civil partnerships then, to decide on whether they should be abolished or opened to straight couples [QUOTE=Memobot;40717793]The bill also says that everywhere by law must offer same-sex couples the chance to marry on their premises if others are allowed to marry there EXCEPT religious premises IF they wish to opt out.[/QUOTE] Actually, [url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2013-2014/0003/cbill_2013-20140003_en_2.htm#pt1-pb2-l1g2]it says the opposite[/url]: [quote](2)A person may not be compelled— (a) to conduct a relevant marriage, (b) to be present at, carry out, or otherwise participate in, a relevant marriage, or (c) to consent to a relevant marriage being conducted, where the reason for the person not doing that thing is that the relevant marriage concerns a same sex couple.[/quote] [QUOTE=Memobot;40717793]The argument against that section of the the bill is that within weeks, someone will go to the ECHR to fight it as it would have become a law, then the whole thing will unravel.[/QUOTE] Freedom of religion is a [url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/European_Convention_for_the_Protection_of_Human_Rights_and_Fundamental_Freedoms#Article_9_.E2.80.93_Freedom_of_thought.2C_conscience_and_religion.C2.B9]European Convention right[/url], and the only way of knowing how the ECHR would reconcile this with the prohibition of discrimination would be to let a case play out. Regardless, leading LGBT rights groups like Stonewall have said they don't want religious groups to be forced to perform gay marriages, and won't mount a legal challenge. Someone quite possibly will though, and the ECHR [i]could[/i] force churches to administer gay marriages, but it's by no means a certainty. [QUOTE=Memobot;40717793]Lastly, this was never a manifesto promise by the Conservative party who are still the majority party, and given the state of the economy, unemployment, food banks etc. a lot of the public are confused as to why so much effort and money has been put in when it makes very little effect.[/QUOTE] This will always be an argument against anything though. After the economy's recovered it might be immigration, or health, or education, but there will always be something that people will point to and say "gay marriage pfft waste of time when we have THIS to deal with instead." You often see this argument used against space missions as well, as if there will ever come a day when everyone in the country agrees that a utopia has been achieved and we can now shift our focus to other matters. [editline]21st May 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Hellduck;40718076]article sixteen of the universal declaration of human rights [url]https://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/[/url][/QUOTE] It's also in Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights

[QUOTE=smurfy;40718434]It's also in Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights[/QUOTE] true, but the way the wind is blowing that may not apply to the uk soon, sadly