The Prime Minister is facing a challenge to persuade more than half of Conservative MPs to support same-sex ‘marriage’ in the most divisive vote of his leadership.
The Government started the countdown to a Commons vote in ten days’ time after publishing its Marriage (Same Sex Couples) bill today.
Tory split
The issue threatens to split the Conservative party as MPs warned party whips that the issue of same-sex ‘marriage’ is by far the most toxic for them among grassroots party members.
Half of the Conservative Party’s 303 MPs are expected to oppose the change but there has been overwhelming support for the bill from Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs.
Party defectors
Downing Street has scheduled the Bill’s second reading soon after the Prime Minister’s Europe speech in an effort to get any possible tension between the Tory grassroots and the leadership out of the way ahead of next year’s European elections.
Polls suggest that Tory defectors to UKIP have been motivated to change parties more by opposition to same-sex ‘marriage’ than the direction of Mr Cameron’s Europe policy.
Andrea Williams of Christian Concern commented: “The Prime Minister has been told repeatedly that his determination to redefine marriage will lose him support, particularly amongst the Tory grassroots.
“It seems very unwise for him to proceed now that cabinet ministers, backbenchers and grassroot party members are sending clear signals that this is a bad idea”.
Source: