Conservative party may consider same-sex marriage...

Nice. Go UK.

 

I think I read something like this before, but then I read something else which said that Cameron would not take gay rights any further. I'd want to hear it from Cameron himself before believing it; afterall, his history of attitudes towards the gays isn't exactly sparkling. My guess is that this is an empty statement intended to try and weed out a few more voters.

Then again, we're behind the rest of the west for same-sex marriage. It's going to happen eventually and I'm sure they're figured that out. So hopefully they'll act on it when (or if) they come out on top at this election if not only as a tactic to seem progressive. But I'm doubtful.

 

let me clear this up, the torries wont push with gay marriage if they win,

this is a sad cheap trick to play the British people and its very disheartening and it revolves around 3 things.

1) ages ago now the lib dems said they will go for same sex marriage. all the poles are looking like hung parliament and the conservatives want lib dem support in that case. but they had a falling out lately and this is to help get the lib dems back on side

2) the recent anti gay slurs by the shadow home secretary has offended a lot of people all potential voters and the conservatives have been pushing this new changed image saying we are accepting so this is a bare faces appeal to them please vote for us

3) as usual the torries have no policy and no detail its just a " we might look at it "

which sums up torrie campaign they are on a fence more than well i dunno .... but they wont give a straight answer or any details as they don't want to lose any voters their tactics is to is back and what labour shoot itself but they don't offer anything , its a sadistic manipulation of the public to throw maybes and possibly and we could or you never know with things as you give them potential hope that means nothing as you never gave a guarantee.

 

the words "may consider" are telling.

This is in no way a promise. this means nothing until they back it up with action. Why wait till they are elected? start the process now.

 

because they wont do it.

they wont isolate their core voters before an election. Conservatives core voters are tradition middle- upper-class white people who through generations of intolerance and ignorance don't know any better and are misguided and so fuel the conservatives stance on same sex rights.

they offer the slight chance they might do something to draw people who have lost hope with labour and have the star dust image of change in their minds.

but the non committal to anything and the shadow home secretary and the fact Cameron took so long to talk out about this and nothing yet again from him on this new development in almost direct response as its so close together......its all words to butter people up and not offend others but wont give anything,

 

As others have said, the Conservatives are unlikely to actually introduce same-sex marriage legislation into Parliament and it is more likely to be an election stunt.

However, as has also been pointed out it is a positive move forward that the usually socially conservative Tories are willing to even consider such a thing.

Compared to here in Australia where both the main parties, Labor (left-wing) and Liberal (right-wing) are officially opposed to same-sex marriage, British politics does seem quite progressive at present on LGBT issues.

It is possible that the fact that the Tories say they may consider same-sex marriage, means that there is the possibility of a Private Members Bill (a Bill introduced by a back-bench MP) for same-sex marriage being introduced sometime during a Tory-led Parliament.

A Private Members Bill can be introduced at any time, but it generally needs to have a degree of support from the governing party in order to be given sufficient debate time. Support for such a parliamentary debate may the extent of official Conservative support for such a Bill

It is likely that any such Bill would be introduced by a Labour or Liberal Democrats MP (more likely the Lib Dems, IMHO). However, the outcome of the current UK general election is likely to very close (whichever way it goes), so with likely a significant majority of Labour and Lib Dems supporting a same-sex marriage Bill, plus the support of a small minority of progressive-leaning Tories, such as Bill could pass successfully through Parliament.

 

A recent direct quote from Cameron:

"I am so glad that we now have civil partnerships. They have helped remove discrimination and have given gay people the rights that they deserve. I want to do everything I can to support commitment and I'm open to changing things further to guarantee equality. But I also accept there are some gay people who want civil partnerships to be a distinct status from marriage. Whatever view you take, I think we should support any arrangement which is built on shared love and commitment, which is why we would give a tax break to both married couples and those in a civil partnership."

As far as Cameron goes on Gay Rights, this is his history since 2000:

2000 - Argues against the "promotion of homosexuality in schools" and accuses Blair of being against "family values". (after the repeal of section 28)
2002 - Voted to ban same-sex couples from adopting
2003 - Once again voted to reintroduce section 28
2004 - Voted in favor of civil partnerships
2008 - Opposed giving lesbians the right to IVF (click)

 

i truly saddens me reading on her people even after saying the torries wont do nothing for us that its step forward they're would consider it...THEY ARENT

anyone who believe conservatives support same sex or lgbt anything is deluded. hell if it was up to most of them wed all be on a register living in isolation camps treates like a plague.

Cameron is just another smooth talker who when you look at his record is anti lgbt, i don't even got why he supported civil partnerships apart from being able to throw it back at us some day.

fact is he talks shit, on about some gay people wanting civil partnerships separate from marriage. i think i might of seen that once...but hes using it as a just indication of well we got what we wanted >.>

i don't know an lgbt person who doesn't want equality to be treated the same as everyone else. and the only ones promising us this and working for it is the lib dems.

the 3 main parties are working really hard to try and get everyone's vote at the moment but personally i only get 3 mental images

labour = bunch and back alley dealers betraying the British work force sleeping with teh city behind out back

conservative = bunch off clean snooty men in top hats and suits rowing past their mansions on a river of dead minorities

lib dems, = the caring friend who never gets invited to the same parties as you because they aren't cool enough. and you have to choose to be their friends or with the popular person u want to be, so you have a secret friendship.

but that's me haha...

either way don't trust Cameron. >.>

as i type this he is doing a q&a about how he wants charities and whoever to take the running of schools to offer better education, so we could end up with more religious or intolerant places of education, also reminds me of the Simpson school of the future where everything is sponsored by pepsi lol ...

 

with all due respect, the Tories can go fuck themselves.

 

I'm a conservative... always have been... I vote for gay-marraige, as do many of my conservative friends. Don't label with to wide a brush...

 

Agree