LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron’s ruling Conservative party split in two yesterday over his plans to legalise unconventional marriages, a move that many of his own lawmakers said was wrong, not a priority for the public, and unnecessarily divisive.
Many Conservative MPs stood up in parliament to denounce the legislation ahead of a vote in which up to half of Cameron’s 303 lawmakers are expected to reject the measure on moral and religious grounds, threatening a corrosive legacy of bitterness.
It was getting into “Alice in Wonderland territory” for any government to come along and rewrite the rules of marriage, Conservative lawmaker Roger Gale told parliament, echoing the views of many in his own party.
“This is not evolution, it’s revolution,” added Edward Leigh, another Conservative member of parliament, saying marriage was “by its nature a heterosexual union”.
Expected to be carried thanks to support from Cameron’s political rivals, the vote was to take place late last evening. REUTERS
