The Christian Institute

Thursday 24 June 2004

'Gay marriage' Bill changed
to be less like marriage

The Government has suffered a major defeat in the Lords over its Civil Partnership Bill. Peers voted by 148 to 130 for Lady O’Cathain’s amendment to extend the Bill to family members who live together long-term. CI supporters who wrote to Peers helped secure this majority.

Without the amendment a daughter who gave up her job to nurse her elderly mother for 15 years would have no rights under the new law and could be faced with a crippling bill for inheritance tax. However, the survivor of a lesbian couple would be exempt.

The Bill cannot be stopped because all three main party leaders support it. Nevertheless, this victory does at least render the Bill fairer to ordinary families and makes it much less like gay marriage.

The Government claims the whole nature of the Bill has been fundamentally changed. There will be a huge battle ahead as it seeks to overturn this amendment and to force the Lords to back down.

Lady O’Cathain also argued that the Northern Ireland Assembly should have the final say over extending the Bill to the Province.