Act now on Civil Partnership Amendment

• In 2004, the Government stated clearly: “Just as with civil marriage, these unions will be entirely secular and the restrictions on religious content and religious premises therefore mirror the position for civil marriage.”

2) Changing the law will remove religious freedom in the future.

• Ben Summerskill, Head of Stonewall, recently said: “Right now, faiths shouldn’t be forced to hold civil partnerships, although in ten or 20 years, that may change.” 
• The Bishop of Winchester, recently said: “I believe that it will open, not the Church of England, but individual clergy, to charges of discrimination if they solemnise marriages as they all do, but refuse to host civil partnership signings in their churches. Unless the Government does something explicit about this, I believe that is the next step.”

3) The amendment will be unworkable.

• Baroness Thornton for the Government made it clear that any change would cause “a number of problems” as well as stating “it would not work in practice”.
• There is no protection for ministers and registrars from being sued for discrimination for refusing to conduct the partnerships as the amendment only mentions religious organisations.

4) The amendment was voted through in highly unsatisfactory circumstances.

• It was done at 11pm, most of the Peers were not in the House of Lords, the Government opposed the amendment but then gave their party a free vote on the issue, the Government had previously said full consultation would be required before a change was made.