Ed Miliband has done nothing more than repeat his own, oft-expressed, support for same-sex "marriage". A London-only newspaper, effectively published out of Boris Johnson's office, has added a piece of pure conjecture in accordance with its own editorial position.
But there is absolutely no suggestion from Miliband's own mouth that Labour is going to impose the whip in the unlikely event that this ever makes it to the floor of either House. Even the Standard's codswallop merchants have felt obliged to give themselves a get-out clause, that their Labour sources cannot say for certain until they have seen the text of the Bill.
He knows perfectly well that, far from the Evening Standard, at least 50 Labour MPs owe their selections and reselections to certification by the local Catholic machines, with a smaller but still noticeable number similarly related to the Pakistani and Bangladeshi tribal and clan machines. Some of those latter are indeed in London, about a mile or less from the Standard's office. Or on a different planet, depending on how you look at it.
Then there are the previously Lib Dem voters of the West Country, Mid Wales and elsewhere, not least the North of Scotland, where this issue also absolutely precludes their voting for the SNP even before it descends into chaos following its heavy defeat in the independence referendum several months before the next General Election.
Labour will not whip any vote on this proposal during this Parliament, a parliamentary division which in itself would cause pigs to stage a flypast. Whereas both Coalition parties are effectively obliged to include a commitment to this change in their respective manifestos in 2015, Labour need say nothing more than that there would be a free vote if anyone tried to bring it in as a Private Member's Bill. What would not be said, because it would not need to be said, would be that there would be no chance of government time for any such Bill, without which it would stand not the slightest realistic chance of success.
By the General Election after that, the Conservative Party will either have been replaced formally, or else taken over in such a way as to amount to the same thing, in both cases making Labour's position that of the other side as well.
Same-sex "marriage" is not going to happen. Forget about it.
Why doesn't the Labour Party have the balls to come out and say it won't happen if they're in power then?
ReplyDeleteBecause it's so wildly improbable that there is no need.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're right, but isn't this a bell-weather demand from the homosexual lobby, and don't the homosexual lobby always win?
ReplyDeleteNot this time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am not sure that it is. They are queueing up to express their lack of interest in it.
Never promised by any party. Never asked for by the intended beneficiaries. Just a daft idea. Let it die.
Oh, yes it is! In fact, Ed has gone further and has said he supports the right of religious groups to carry out same sex marriages if they wish to. Yvette Cooper has already stated her support for this and her intention to issue an amendment to this end.
ReplyDeleteI still think it likely that it will be brought forward for discussion and legislation particularly as it is already scheduled in Scotland.
Labour MP's voting against will be in single figures. The vast majority of the party support this.
I think you are really out of touch and I'll look forward to reminding you when it happens.
In fact, Ed has gone further and has said he supports the right of religious groups to carry out same sex marriages if they wish to. Yvette Cooper has already stated her support for this and her intention to issue an amendment to this end.
ReplyDeleteBut they are not going to compel anyone else to vote for their views on these matters, long in the public domain, and that is the point.
Believe in it when you see it in Scotland, and even more so with the support of Scottish Labour, the political wing of the Catholic Church in its Western heartland, and eyeing up all those electorally homeless, socially ultraconservative voters, but very much in favour of government action and spending, in the North in 2015.
As for the Commons, believe in absolutely anything if it ever reaches the floor of the House, especially if things really kick off at the Conservative Party Conference.
And even then, however many Labour MPs voted against it, they would be free to do so. That is the point.
Quite a lot of them will have had plenty of time to speak to their Constituency Labour Party movers and shakers by then, anyway. Where is it that you say that are from? Liverpool...?
Yes, I am - and so I have a pretty good idea about how Labour MP's are going to vote on this issue.
ReplyDeleteThe GC of the one Labour MP who intends to vote against in this area voted unanimously to support same sex marriage and marriage equality.
I estimate that, similar to all the other issues on gay equality, the same handful of Labour MP's will be in the no lobby. I don't think you realise just how much of a shift there has been on these issues within the party
CLPs cannot bind MPs. It doesn't work like that.
ReplyDeleteNotice you have seen today's Telegraph editorial http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9570884/Milibands-mischief.html explaining that this is all just a wind-up with Milly having everybody on.
ReplyDeleteSigh...I know that. David. But the vast majority of Labour MP's support this change and will vote for it. As was said at conference this week
ReplyDelete