Friday 25th January 2013 | 14:35
Freedom to Marry: Confident that same-sex marriage Bill will pass
Freedom to Marry Press Release Freedom to Marry is delighted to see publication of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill today. Publication marks the start of a parliamentary process that we are confident will end in marriage being open to all couples, regardless of their sexuality.
We are committed to securing equal marriage, but also to ensuring religious freedom, so we welcome the Bill's explicit legal protections for dissenting religious groups. In Lord Pannick QC’s words, it is ‘clear beyond argument’ that the proposals offer watertight protection for religious groups from legal challenge. MPs can vote for this Bill with confidence, knowing that religious freedom will be protected.
There is growing public support for this reform. All reputable polls, apart from the ComRes poll commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage, show that a significant majority of the public support the change. The latest ICM poll for The Guardian shows that public support has increased substantially since these proposals were announced.
Nick Herbert MP commented: “This a reform whose time has come. Equal marriage is supported by a growing majority of the public, and we believe that most MPs will back it, too. It's important to protect religious freedom, and the legal safeguards in the Bill are reassuring."