New poll: gay marriage plans are turning away Tory voters

Voters are turning away from the Conservative Party because of their push for marriage to be redefined, according to a new poll.

ComRes surveyed 2000 people last week, and found that more than a third of disaffected Tory voters are less likely to vote for them again because of the proposed gay marriage legislations.

Of those who voted Tory in 2010 but say they may not do so next time, 36 per cent say the policy is driving them further away.

Remain

And overall, 62 per cent of voters say marriage should remain as it is – between a man and a woman. That number rises to 68 per cent amongst Tory voters.

More than half of Labour and Lib Dem voters (58 per cent and 52 per cent respectively) said that marriage should continue to be defined as a “life-long exclusive commitment between a man and a woman”.

Only 23 per cent of voters agree that redefining marriage would help the Tories win the next election, whereas nearly twice as many (40 per cent) disagree.

Winner

This goes against George Osborne’s recent article in The Times which he claimed gay marriage would be an election winner for the Conservative Party.

Two thirds of voters (65 per cent) think David Cameron is redefining marriage for political, rather than principled, reasons – to rebrand the Tory party as “trendy and modern”.

Colin Hart, campaign director of Coalition for Marriage which is against the Government’s plans said: “This poll is the latest blow to a profoundly undemocratic plan that day by day is falling apart before our eyes.

Opposing

“Given the weight of polling data on this issue, the biggest Government consultation in recent years and a 600,000 strong petition opposing the redefinition of marriage, it is astonishing that the PM’s right hand man, Chancellor George Osborne has tried to put this policy at the heart of the Tory’s election strategy.

“Either Mr Osborne is deluded, or out of touch. He should concentrate on fixing Britain’s broken economy instead of trying to rip up the centuries old definition of marriage in a desperate bid to appear progressive and trendy.”