High Peak Liberal Democrats
Time it went to the Lords!
The Same-sex Marriage Bill was extensively debated again today in the House of Commons, with a series of amendments being debated - and then the bill passing by a clear margin of 366 votes to 161 at the Third Reading.
Lib Dems including Stephen Williams MP and Julian Huppert MP spoke extensively during the debates, advocating extension to allow Humanist ceremonies to be recognised in law in England and Wales in the way they already are in Scotland, and changes to improve the bill for transgender people, but these amendments fell.
Summing up, Julian Huppert MP said that the state should not bar marriage from anyone - straight, gay, or bi, whether or not they are trans. He noted his delight that this issue have moved so far and fast since the motion LGBT+ Lib Dems put to Lib Dem federal conference for debate in 2010. He also paid tribute to the work of many including Lynne Featherstone MP, Stephen Gilbert MP and Stephen Williams MP for their work getting the bill before the house and through its earlier stages.
He observed, "this bill is right today and will seem even more right in five, ten, twenty years."
He also noted that while the bill could be better, and incorporate issues like equal civil partnerships, and humanist weddings, hopefully government will now find time and a way to address those things,
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