Gay Marriage: 'Cynical And Opportunistic'

The Liberal Democrats have been accused of acting in a "cynical and opportunistic" way when they decided to back gay marriage shortly after coming to power in May 2010.

Ben Summerskill, who stepped down last month as chief executive of Stonewall after running the gay rights charity for 11 years, said it was politically expedient for the Lib Dems to back a policy that put a distance between themselves and the Conservative party at a time when there was enormous disquiet about the two parties forming a coalition.

He told the Observer that he stood by his remarks, made for a Radio 4 programme, and had been convinced of the Lib Dems' cynicism when former MP Evan Harris greeted the conference vote to adopt gay marriage by saying: "This is great because we put clear blue water between us and the Tories."

"Note that he didn't say, 'hurrah – this is great news for gay couples or for equality'," said Summerskill. "He made it crystal clear that at that time it was politically opportunistic for the Lib Dems. It is certainly a less edifying view of the politicians involved, but it's a true view. All you have to do is look at the Lib Dem manifesto in May 2010, even their gay manifesto, and gay marriage doesn't appear. Suddenly, three months later, there they were quite cynically adopting the policy."

His remarks have angered Lib Dem equality minister Lynne Featherstone. "Wow, I'm really upset by that, really upset," she said. "That's absolute rubbish. We are the party of equality and Ben knows that. It wasn't in the manifesto probably because no one thought it could be achieved – not because of any lack of desire to do it.

"I wasn't going to raise this, but it has to be said that Stonewall wasn't in favour of equal marriage and they changed – and I'm very grateful they changed. It is somewhat upsetting to hear that that is his attitude. I thought we were all working together on this. I'm very surprised and disappointed to hear him say that. It's completely unnecessary." ...

The Observer.

Well, this has gone down well. 

Tee-hee. 

Stonewall and Summerskill's glacial slowness on coming out for equal marriage was farcical and tragic to say the least.

But the race for both the Lib Dems and the Conservatives to suddenly announce and to take credit for same-sex marriage legislation during their 2011 conferences suggest both had another agenda, and we were being used as a pink political football.

Why did both parties suddenly, simultaneously pull the policy out of a magician's top hat?

This is a facinating episode I shall return to in more detail later...

PS Here's more about next Tuesday's Radio 4 programme, Gay Rights: Tying The Knot.

PPS Fagburn wonders how many stories Pink News will wring out of this 'outrage'?