Tory troubles; the politics of gay marriage

With tensions still simmering within the Conservative party over our relationship with the EU the prospect of introducing legislation on gay marriage by Easter looks set to cause more troubles for the Prime Minister.  David Cameron appears to be leading a party of reactionaries, conservatives and social liberals, something which reflects his decision to offer Tory MP’s a free vote on the issue.  Despite his archetypical ‘family man’ credentials, the Prime Minister has embraced a form of social liberalism in order to modernise and rebrand the party as inclusivist and compassionate. Whilst this sits well with the Liberal Democrats, the Labour Party and social liberals, David Cameron’s focus on General Well Being (GWB) irks many Conservative traditionalists. Whilst the Prime Minister might be unconcerned about upsetting the Tory right within the Parliamentary party, it may not prove so wise to alienate grassroots activists despite increasing his support amongst the LGBT community from 11% in 2010 to 30% today.   

Bob Blackman MP for Harrow East is an example of the reactionary thinking in that he views ‘gay marriage as wrong in the first place’ and has even called for the reintroduction of Section 28. Such thinking within the Parliamentary party is somewhat limited as most are acutely aware that rekindling an exclusivist ideology synonymous with Thatcherism and John Major’s ‘Back to Basics’ would conjure up an outdated image Mr Cameron is so desperate to bury.

Those who wish to keep the status quo and who view civil partnerships as an end in itself not a first step towards gay marriage include the Cornerstone Traditional Values Group (CTVG) and Conservative Voice. CTVG have 40 MP’s opposing gay marriage whist Liam Fox and David Davies, defeated candidates in the Conservative party leadership contest are amongst the heavy hitters in the Conservative Voice. The Coalition for Marriage has brought together academics, religious leaders, politicians and others to lobby against redefining marriage with 624,497 petition signatories. However, despite approximately 100 Tory MPs set to make a spectacle in voting against the Bill it looks set to pass with the support of Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The consequences of this independent spirit, conscience or disloyalty, is a manifest sign that David Cameron has failed to shape the party in his socially liberal image.     

Marriage was defined in Hyde v Hyde (1866) as an agreement between a man and a woman who become husband and wife. Social liberals within the Conservative party like David Cameron, Michael Gove and potential leadership hopeful Boris Johnson seek to redefine marriage for the 21^st century. An Ipsos MORI poll published on the 12^th December 2012 found 73% of British adults agree that gay people should be able to get married. Traditionalists and reactionaries within and outside the party argue that such a move was not contained in the parties manifesto. Yet our constitutional arrangements have never acted to constrain a Prime Minister on such matters of policy. Furthermore, the Conservative Contract for Equalities, or Equality Manifesto published before the general election included reference to a reclassification of marriage on page 16 of the document.

The reforms look almost certain to succeed on their way through the Chambers in the New Year, earlier rather than later. Yet this success will come at a cost for David Cameron as he shows the electorate that the party is not only divided over Europe and Taxes but also on social matters too. David Cameron’s leadership has been clear on matters of equality but the party, or a significant section of them appear unwilling to be led.