An amendment to the Government’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill tabled by a Conservative MP threatens to derail the proposals.
Former minister Tim Loughton has put forward an amendment which would make civil partnerships available to heterosexual couples.
The amendment is likely to receive the backing of Labour and Lib Dem MPs, as well as up to 150 Conservatives.
The Government has warned that extending civil partnerships to heterosexual couples could cost it £4billion in extra pension liabilities.
Delay
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: “It introduces complexity which would not only, I believe, delay the passage of the bill through Parliament, but it would also put forward a number of quite fundamental policy issues which need considerable thought and consultation, let alone any delays around implementation.
“I think it would throw up significant challenges - obviously it would be for us to go through a consultation and a consideration period to be able to understand how that would work because at the moment there really isn’t the detail there.”
Contempt
Local Conservative chairmen delivered a letter to 10 Downing Street over the weekend stating that Mr Cameron had shown “utter contempt for ordinary people” on the issue of same sex ‘marriage’.
Bob Woollard, chairman of the Conservative Grassroots group which organised the letter, 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’”.
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