Gay Marriage: Tories Braced For Vote Split

Culture Secretary Maria Miller has insisted that allowing gay marriage will make Britain fairer as the plans threaten to spark a Tory civil war.

Mrs Miller told MPs at the start of a Commons debate that the Government's plans would protect freedom of faith and extend equality to gay couples.

"Suggestions that this Bill changes something that has remained unchanged for centuries simply does not recognise the road that marriage has travelled as an institution," she said.

She also played down claims that churches refusing to hold gay weddings could face legal action, calling the prospect of a challenge from the European Court of Human Rights "simply inconceivable".

"This Bill is about one thing. It is about fairness, it is about giving those who want to get married the opportunity to do so whilst protecting the rights of those who don't agree with same-sex marriage," she said.

"Marriage is one of the most important institutions we have, it binds society and families together, it is a building block that promotes stability. This Bill supports and cultivates marriage."

Equalities minister Maria Miller has pledged a 'fair approach' to marriage

But former coalition minister Sir Gerald Howarth claimed the Government had no mandate for such "massive social and cultural change".

"There are many major issues this country has to deal with. This is an irrelevance," he said.

And DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds claimed the proposals, which cover England and Wales, were about "low political calculation" and aimed at "detoxifying" the Tory party.

Tory activist Iain Dale claims several 'closet gays' will vote against

More than 100 Conservative MPs are expected to defy the Prime Minister and vote against the bitterly controversial Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill later today.

There is also anger at the decision to whip a vote on the timetable for the Bill, with many backbenchers believing it should be scrutinised by the House rather than a committee of MPs.

In a last-ditch appeal, William Hague, George Osborne and Theresa May joined forces, writing an open letter insisting it "is the right thing do do at the right time".

The three most senior Tories in the Cabinet questioned whether it was "any longer acceptable to exclude people from marriage simply because they love someone of the same sex".

The legislation will get a second reading with Labour and Liberal Democrat support but it is possible that more than half the Tories' 305 MPs could vote against it.

This would be hugely damaging for the Prime Minister, coming amid a febrile atmosphere of plotting against him and claims that hundreds of Tory activists are deserting the party in protest.

New poll results also show that that the issue threatens to drive voters away from the Tories.

The Bill would allow couples to convert civil-partnerships into marriage

A YouGov survey for The Sun put Labour ahead by 15 points with the Tories on 30%.

In a separate ComRes poll for ITV News, more than a third - 34% - said the move made the Conservatives less attractive to them as voters. Only 15% said it made the party more appealing.

All three major parties have allowed a free vote on the Bill. Around 20 Labour MPs, a few Lib Dems and the Democratic Unionist Party's MPs are also expected to vote against.

But the Tories are potentially even more divided on gay marriage than they are on Europe, with party activists as well as Conservative MPs publicly clashing over the proposals to allow same sex couples to marry.

At least two members of the Cabinet, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson and Welsh Secretary David Jones, are expected to oppose the proposals.

Labour's Ed Miliband and Ed Balls will vote in favour of the bill

Two more, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, may abstain.

In a bizarre twist ahead of the vote, gay political commentator Iain Dale claimed that the Tories threatening to vote against the Bill include several "closet-case gays" including "two supposedly heterosexual MPs who I know to be conducting gay affairs".

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling backed the Bill, telling gay magazine Attitude: "Changing a law has never automatically changed someone's opinion or belief, but a change in law can result in a more supportive and protective environment.

"The Government's proposals on the recognition of gay marriage are a sensible next step in that evolution. They make it clear that the attitudes of today's generations are very different to those of the past.

"Of course we need to protect the right of the individual to have a conscience and of religious institutions to follow their own path. But that does not mean that the state has to do the same."

And in a fightback against the Bill's critics, the Conservative Party's most senior volunteer, Paul Swaddle, the president of the National Convention, was one of more than 50 senior figures who signed a letter backing the reforms.

"By opposing gay marriage outright, we risk alienating the voters we will need in 2015," the letter said. "To win, the Conservative Party must mount a broad appeal. We urge our MPs to listen to the wider views of their electorate as they decide how to vote."

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh broke ranks and declared that he intended to vote against gay marriage, insisting there was a "good liberal case" against the move.

In an open letter to constituents, he said his fundamental objection was that the legislation "achieves none of its objectives and weakens the link between marriage and the family".

Labour leader Ed Miliband said he would "proudly" vote in favour and would actively urge his MPs to join him in making "an important step forward in the fight for equality in Britain".

And shadow chancellor Ed Balls admitted he admired the Prime Minister for proposing same sex marriage.

"I think it's brave and he's divided his party in quite a deep way," Mr Balls told ITV's Agenda. "It's not clear why from a Conservative Party point of view he's chosen to do this.

"The economy's in a mess, we need a jobs plan and he's chosen this issue. But in 50 years time we'll look back and say, 'Did we really have a debate where we said your sexuality will decide whether you could get married or not?"'

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