Gay marriage happened because society wanted it, not because government ordered it

Should right-wing politicians be more moral? The question is being raised by Ricky Ross on his superb Sunday morning show on Radio Scotland*; I will be one of the guests. We recorded the discussion this morning. Why, he asked, are Tories seen as being a bit cold-hearted, obsessed with the rich and unconcerned with welfare? Why couldn’t they put themselves at the front of a social mission, like gay marriage?

It’s an important point: Tories tend to dislike being seen as preachy and pious, so avoid the moralising language that Labour politicians are quicker to use. But that doesn’t mean they’re not driven by the same sense of moral purpose: the pursuit of freedom, the belief that societies are stronger and more cohesive when power is passed from the state to the people. But gay marriage is a bad example for two reasons. First, David Cameron actually did lead the charge on gay marriage – and, to my dismay, treated it as a US-style culture war.