Many grassroot Conservatives have quit the Tory party over the Government’s proposals to redefine marriage, The Telegraph has reported.
Conservative Association chairmen in the constituencies of Education Secretary Michael Gove and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin have said that the Government’s plans to redefine marriage have upset a number of longstanding activists.
Mr Gove and Mr McLoughlin have both signed up to the “Freedom to Marry” campaign launched by a handful of senior Conservative leaders to promote the Government’s proposed redefinition of marriage.
No evidence
But the president of the Conservative association in Mr Gove’s constituency, Geoffrey Vero, said: “I have spoken to Michael and we have had to agree to disagree. My personal view is that this is a Pandora’s box that would be best left unopened.
“One wonders why David Cameron is so keen to push for gay marriage when there is no evidence that it is wanted by the country and when it was not in the manifestos of any of the three main parties.
“People feel very uncomfortable about this, especially older members of the party who have been brought up from an early age to be told in church that marriage is between a man and woman for the procreation and bringing up of children”.
James Hollingsworth, chairman of the Conservative association in Derbyshire Dales, revealed that Mr McLoughlin has received a large postbag from constituents since the launch of the Freedom to Marry campaign.
Unhappy
He said: “A lot of people are very unhappy about this. We have lost members already [over the same-sex ‘marriage’ issue] and I expect to lose more.
“There will be people who will never forgive the party, although if it is brought in quickly some will come back to us by the next election.
“My personal view is that this will play into Ukip’s hands. This has upset members far more than Europe or management of the economy... more than any issue in fact, even though it is unlikely that it will impact on our members’ lives directly”.
Robert Oxborough, chairman of West Devon Conservative Association, said: “I think David Cameron is barking mad - he should be getting on with sorting out how to get the economy moving.
“I don’t know quite why he is concentrating on these side issues like gay marriage, it makes no sense to me at all.
“I think it is fundamentally wrong for any government to be meddling with the position that religious groups take on an issue. So forcing churches and mosques to allow same-sex marriage is wrong.
“If someone has a conviction that God exists and is ruling what goes on here on planet earth then it is up for God to decide, not man”.
The Government’s “Equal Civil Marriage” Bill is expected to be brought before Parliament in January.
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