House of Lords same-sex marriage amendments withdrawn

Mar 1, 2019 by

from Coalition for Marriage:

Two worrying amendments on same-sex marriage were withdrawn earlier today instead of being voted on.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester had tabled an amendment that could have undermined the ‘quad lock’ safeguards which give clergy an absolute right to refuse to do gay weddings. The Government minister said the amendment was unnecessary, and cut across the Church of England’s own legislative powers.

A separate amendment by Lord Hayward would have forced same-sex marriage on Northern Ireland. The Government opposed this as a threat to devolution, but supported the principle of a restored Assembly redefining marriage in Northern Ireland “as one of the first things that they do”.

It was important that the Government continued to oppose these particular amendments. But the Minister, Baroness Williams of Trafford, was clear that the Government wants both Northern Ireland and the Church of England to ‘make progress’ towards allowing same-sex marriage.

We remain alert for any further amendments on these or any other issues relevant to marriage.

Read also: Peer drops bid to impose same-sex marriage on NI, Christian Institute

 

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