This week marks seven years since David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative party, and he has celebrated the occasion by making an announcement that will certainly keep things lively among his MPs and grassroots. Joe Murphy reports in the Standard today that he will allow religious groups to host same-sex weddings in their places of worship.
The Prime Minister made clear this lunchtime that he would allow a free vote, appearing on the lunchtime news to say:
‘I’m a massive supporter of marriage and I don’t want gay people to be excluded from a great institution. But let me be absolutely 100% clear, if there is any church or any synagogue or any mosque that doesn’t want to have a gay marriage it will not, absolutely must not, be forced to hold it. That is absolutely clear in the legislation. Also let me make clear, this is a free vote for Members of Parliament but personally I will be supporting it.’
Labour has already said it will place a three-line whip on a vote to introduce civil marriage for same-sex couples, but a source I spoke to today said: ‘We simply have not made a decision yet.’
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