Marriage: The Uncommitted Commitment

David Cameron to offer MPs free vote on gay marriage plans 
The Independent.

The gay marriage-bashing Daily Telegraph predictably recasts this as; 'No 10 backs down over David Cameron gay marriage plan.'
But did anyone seriously think this would not be a free vote - that's if it comes to a vote, of course.
And how can this be squared with;
'Mr Cameron's spokesman said the Government was "committed to introducing same-sex civil marriage" by the end of the current Parliament, in 2015. Asked whether the normal rules of collective responsibility would apply, he said: "It is a government commitment."' (The Independent, yesterday. Emphasis added).
Anyone might think they're making all this up as they go along.
What an utter shambles.

Update: Matthew Parris' column in The Times; "Very slightly odd that Owen Paterson, the Northern Ireland Secretary, should be telling a constituent now that he cannot support gay marriage.
But nobody will be requiring him to. No legislation has yet been proposed and if or when it were, the measure would certainly be put to a free vote in the House of Commons, with MPs voting according to their consciences. That is how the 1967 Act (legalising homosexual relations between consenting adults over 21) was passed, with Margaret Thatcher voting in favour. That, too, was how the 1982 Order in Council was passed, bringing Northern Ireland (where all homosexual relations were a criminal offence) into line with the rest of Britain..." Thank you, Matthew.

Update2: And a predictably dumb and wrongheaded Telegraph blogpost on this appears from Cristina Odone. You can always count on papist fartbag Cristina Odear to grab hold of the wrong end of the stick and start beating us round the head with it.