The United Kingdom’s marriage equality Bill will go to a vote on third reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday and is considered likely to pass within the lower house. However, on Monday, anti-gay MPs will sponsor a series of "wrecking amendments", among which will be a call to defer the entire process until 2015 and put it to a public referendum. The Guardian reports 'No 10' is bracing itself for a loss of face as up to 150 Tory MPs prepare to show their opposition to the Prime Minister. Anti-gay organisations are also calling on the unelected House of Lords to try to sabotage the Bill, although this would only be a delaying tactic, as Prime Minister Cameron has indicated his willingness to use the Parliament Act to override any such undemocratic veto attempt from the Lords should any arise. The Lords will vote on the bill on 2 June. Meanwhile the Church of England has agreed the marriage equality law will protect it from legal challenges in the future. In a briefing before the Bill is discussed House of Commons, the Church said while they cannot support the bill, they agree the government has ‘good intentions’. A quadruple lock, which protects the Church of England as the state religion, states no religious organisation or minister will be compelled to marry gay couples. It also will be unlawful for an individual to marry a gay couple if their organisation has not ‘opted in’, the Equality Act will be amended so no discrimination claim can be brought in and the legislation will explicitly state it will be illegal for the Church of England and the Church in Wales to marry same-sex couples. “The ‘quadruple lock’ does, in our view, achieve the Government’s policy intentions in this area and we believe it is essential that the various locks in the Bill are preserved,” the Church says.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 20th May 2013 - 12:01pm