The Christian Institute » Marriage & family

Theresa May: let’s rewrite the definition of marriage

Roger Jordan — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:06:14 +0000

The Home Secretary has released a video in support of controversial plans to redefine marriage, despite the fact that a Government consultation on the issue is still under way. In the video Theresa May, the minister responsible for the consultation, says she personally supports same-sex marriage. However, her position puts her at odds with a [...]

Pope snubs Scottish First Minister over gay marriage

Roger Jordan — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:31:38 +0000

Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, has been banned from meeting the Pope because of proposals to redefine marriage. Mr Salmond had hoped to put himself on the world stage by meeting the Pope at the Vatican ahead of a Scottish referendum on independence. But Roman Catholic leaders blocked the move because the meeting would have [...]

Ministers will get free vote on gay marriage plans

Roger Jordan — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:10:05 +0000

David Cameron is to give Government ministers a free vote on plans to rewrite the definition of marriage following a wave of protest. The move is significant because, normally, ministers are expected to vote according to Government policy. Earlier this week Owen Paterson, the Northern Ireland Secretary, became the first Cabinet Minister to publicly oppose [...]

Tory Cabinet Minister: ‘I don’t support gay marriage’

Roger Jordan — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:39:38 +0000

Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson has become the first Cabinet Minister to break ranks over the Government’s controversial plans to redefine marriage. A number of senior Conservatives, including the Secretary of Defence Philip Hammond, have already expressed reservations over the Government’s plans. But Mr Paterson is the first Cabinet Minister to openly oppose the redefinition [...]

Superhero to be outed as gay, after Obama’s switch

Roger Jordan — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:26:40 +0000

A major comic book superhero like Superman, Batman, or Robin is in line to be turned gay by the characters’ owners, DC Comics. The decision, say the publishers, compares to the “evolving” support for gay marriage announced recently by US President, Barack Obama. DC Comics co-publisher Dan DiDio had originally planned to introduce a new [...]

Redefining marriage would be ‘huge social experiment’

Sam Wylie — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:54:01 +0000

Redefining marriage would be a “huge social experiment, in which the guinea pigs are children”, a Free Church of Scotland report has warned. The official report also cautioned that the Scottish Government is “legitimising and encouraging the existence of fatherless or motherless children” through its plans to redefine marriage. The comments come as the Government [...]

MP: schools ‘forced to teach gay marriage’

Roger Jordan — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:51:11 +0000

Schools will be compelled to teach children about same-sex marriage if the institution is redefined, a Conservative MP has warned. The Westminster Government is currently consulting on its plans to redefine marriage, but Matthew Offord MP has made clear that he will not vote for any change to the current law. The MP for Hendon [...]

Ad watchdog under fire as Chairman backs gay marriage

Sam Wylie — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:30:26 +0000

The Advertising Standards Authority has been accused of bias after its chairman publicly backed redefining marriage while it investigates adverts from a group supporting the current law on marriage. Lord Smith of Finsbury, who is a homosexual, has recorded a video for a campaign backing the redefinition of marriage – and said he personally wants [...]

Stop vilifying those who oppose redefining marriage

Roger Jordan — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:04:52 +0000

Activists seeking to rewrite the definition of marriage must stop trying to vilify those who oppose them, a gay writer has warned. “If they don’t snap out of it they’ll even lose the support of gay people like me,” said Max Wind-Cowie. He is Head of the Progressive Conservatism Project at Demos and he accused [...]

4 million families to get opt-out from web porn

Roger Jordan — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:55:18 +0000

One of the country’s largest internet service providers is to ask all of its four million customers if they wish to block access to pornographic websites. In March TalkTalk started asking new customers whether they wished to install a filter that blocks adult websites. The company has now revealed that it is planning to make [...]

Sentamu: Redefining marriage would be a misuse of the law

Roger Jordan — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:27:48 +0000

The Government’s controversial plan to redefine marriage has nothing to do with injustice and would be a “misuse of the statute”, the Archbishop of York has warned. Dr John Sentamu says changing the definition of marriage would weaken its meaning for the majority, whilst achieving “little if anything” for homosexuals. Earlier this year Dr Sentamu [...]

Advertising regulator criticised for C4M probe

Roger Jordan — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:30:33 +0000

The advertising regulator has been widely criticised for launching an astonishing investigation into ads which simply support the current law on marriage. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says it has received ten complaints that ads for the Coalition for Marriage are “offensive”. View the ad for yourself here. The ASA claimed that one of the [...]

Obama drops in polls after backing gay marriage

Mike Judge — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:15:49 +0000

US President Barack Obama has lost his lead in the polls after announcing his support for gay marriage. A poll for the New York Times and CBS News shows that support for the President has dropped amongst registered voters from 48 to 43 per cent. It is the first important poll since the President made [...]

Barack Obama hailed as ‘first gay president’

Roger Jordan — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:29:36 +0000

President Barack Obama is being hailed as America’s ‘First Gay President’ on the front cover of a major American news magazine. The cover, which shows the President sporting a rainbow-coloured halo, follows his controversial endorsement of same-sex marriage last week. On Wednesday he told a US TV channel that “it is important for me to [...]

Top Tories: leave fringe issues like gay marriage

Roger Jordan — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:43:43 +0000

Two more Government ministers have called for fringe issues like plans to redefine marriage to be put on hold. Secretary of Defence, Philip Hammond, and Children’s Minister Tim Loughton, say the Government should focus on more important matters. They join junior Defence Minister, Gerald Howarth, who was the first Government minister to speak out earlier [...]

Salmond tight-lipped on gay marriage in Scotland

Sam Wylie — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:15:25 +0000

Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, has refused to say whether Scotland will redefine marriage while responses to the public consultation are still being analysed. And it emerged that the consultation on an independence referendum received less than one third of the level of responses that the consultation on redefining marriage received. Alex Salmond made the [...]

‘Obama only backed gay marriage for the money’

Mike Judge — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:45:09 +0000

President Obama switched to support gay marriage because he was under pressure from large financial donors, media reports say. Observers say the move may be a vote-loser in key US states, but it’s a money-spinner with Hollywood celebrities. The Washington Post analysed the President’s campaign finances and found that one in six of his top [...]

Call to boycott Starbucks for its stance on marriage

Mike Judge — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:08:35 +0000

The Starbucks coffee giant says redefining marriage is one of its “core” values, and an international boycott has been launched against the company. The boycott has been organised by American-based campaign group the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which has set up the dumpstarbucks.com website. Director of NOM’s Corporate Fairness Project, Jonathan Baker, said Starbucks’ [...]

Obama says he supports redefining marriage

Sam Wylie — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:20 +0000

Barack Obama has said he personally supports redefining marriage, but critics have accused him of backing the radical change for political purposes. President Obama, who is facing a presidential election this year, told a US TV channel that “it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be [...]

Voters in North Carolina back traditional marriage

benr — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:42:42 +0000

North Carolina voters approved a constitutional amendment which protects the definition of marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman. The amendment says: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.” It means judges or politicians can’t force [...]

C4M: 500,000 tell Govt not to redefine marriage

Sam Wylie — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:41:12 +0000

A petition against Government plans to redefine marriage set up by Coalition for Marriage (C4M) has now passed over half a million signatures. Colin Hart, the group’s Campaign Director, said: “This campaign proves that the British people reject the Government’s plans to change the definition of marriage. With half a million signatures, they must listen [...]

Govt minister: gay marriage cost Tories at local election

Sam Wylie — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:22:44 +0000

A Conservative government minister has said that his party’s poor performance at the local elections is partly down to its bid to redefine marriage. Listen to Gerald Howarth’s comments Gerald Howarth, a defence minister, made the comments after his party lost hundreds of seats, including some in the Prime Minister’s own constituency. Mr Howarth told [...]

Poll: Two thirds want default online porn block at home

Sam Wylie — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:18:15 +0000

A poll has found 66 per cent of the public want a default block on online pornography, as Labour MPs join calls to clampdown on children being able to see explicit content. The YouGov survey found two thirds of people were in favour of a system where users had to ‘opt-in’ to view adult content [...]

Cameron alienates his own voters over gay marriage

Sam Wylie — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:58:30 +0000

The Prime Minister is alienating his own voters in his Witney constituency because of his support for redefining marriage, a new poll shows. Two thirds of his constituents want to keep marriage as it is – between one man and one woman. That number climbs to 75 per cent amongst the people who voted for [...]

BBC to review sex ed ‘blue movie’ after outcry

Sam Wylie — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:00:43 +0000

The BBC is to review a controversial sex education video for children as young as nine following parents’ concerns. Appalled parents contacted Andrea Leadsom MP who said the video was “like a blue movie” and was “shattering the innocence of childhood”. Now, after intervention from a Government minister, the BBC has said it will review [...]

Judge: time to halt damage done by broken marriages

Sam Wylie — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:52:01 +0000

One of England’s most senior family court judges says the time has come to halt the damage being done by broken marriages. Sir Paul Coleridge will today launch a new group to promote marriage and tackle Britain’s ‘divorce addiction’. He says that waiting for the Government to do anything about the mess is “merely an [...]

‘Vote for marriage’ flyers to every Glasgow house

Sam Wylie — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:00:48 +0000

Every home in Glasgow will receive a “vote for marriage” leaflet this week, urging voters to quiz local council candidates on the issue of redefining marriage. Campaign group, Scotland for Marriage, has produced more than 300,000 of the leaflets – enough for every household in the city – and the flyers will be delivered this [...]

Redefining marriage may cost Tories up to 30 seats

Sam Wylie — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:07:43 +0000

The Conservative Party could lose up to 30 parliamentary seats and over 1.1 million votes if it bulldozes ahead with plans to redefine marriage, a new poll shows. The poll, conducted by ComRes, shows that the party’s support for gay marriage is alienating former Tory voters. For every disaffected Tory supporter attracted back to the [...]

Online porn: MP says now is the time to protect kids

Sam Wylie — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:00:50 +0000

Now is the time for “commonsense solutions” to tackle online pornography, an MP has said, as pressure mounts on internet service providers to act. Claire Perry made the comments in the wake of an inquiry into online child protection. It called for a government consultation on a default block on adult content. But in recent [...]

Third of 10-year-olds have seen porn, statistics show

Sam Wylie — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:34:53 +0000

Almost one in three children aged just ten or under have seen sexual images online, according to figures highlighted in a parliamentary inquiry. The inquiry found that the “majority of children access the internet alone” and the average age when a child first uses the internet in the UK is eight-years-old. Studies also noted in [...]

Homosexuality is ‘less fixed’ than most people think

Roger Jordan — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:16:04 +0000

Homosexuality is “less fixed” than many people may think, a prominent gay commentator at The Times has said. Matthew Parris also dismissed the suggestion that there are two types of men – one heterosexual and the other homosexual. And while Mr Parris insisted that he does not think “everyone is alterable” he said that “male [...]

Commentator: Shame on society for normalising porn

Sam Wylie — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:16:19 +0000

We are now “paying the price” for creating a society where pornography is “normalised”, a commentator has warned. Sonia Poulton was writing in the wake of a parliamentary report which said children are being damaged because of the easy access to online pornography. The commentator said: “Teenagers today don’t know what it’s like not to [...]

Mums being forced back to work, warns minister

Roger Jordan — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:01:32 +0000

Stay-at-home mums are being forced to go back to work as families struggle to pay the bills, the employment minister has warned. Chris Grayling said that the demise of the stay-at-home mum was one “very obvious” trend from the current jobs market. He said: “I think we are seeing more stay-at-home mums saying, ‘I think [...]

Intolerant liberal faction behind gay marriage push

Roger Jordan — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:01:48 +0000

The campaign to redefine marriage is being pushed by an “increasingly cavalier and triumphalist liberalism”, a gay commentator writing for the Irish Times has said. Richard Waghorne, a freelance journalist, warned that switching the focus of marriage from children to adults would disadvantage “future generations”. He objects to the way it is assumed that all [...]

Children being damaged by online porn, says inquiry

Sam Wylie — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:23:07 +0000

Many children are “easily accessing online pornography” and are suffering as a result, a cross-party parliamentary inquiry has found. According to the inquiry, children’s attitudes to sex, relationships and body image are all being negatively affected by seeing internet pornography. Studies noted in the inquiry’s report suggested four out of five children aged 14-16 access [...]

Man fails to overturn Germany’s incest ban

Sam Wylie — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:23:41 +0000

A German man who fathered four children with his sister has failed to get his conviction for incest overturned at the European Court of Human Rights. The court ruled that Germany’s criminalisation of sex between siblings is justified for the protection of marriage and the family. But Patrick Stuebing claims his sexual relationship with his [...]

Grassroots Tories have had enough of gay marriage

Roger Jordan — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:08:32 +0000

Grassroots Conservatives have had enough of their party’s plans to rewrite the definition of marriage, the head of the oldest Tory think-tank has said. Ben Harris, Chairman of the Bow Group, said: “What we are seeing here is genuine fatigue among a party rank and file, disappointed both at the suggested policy itself, and the [...]

Imams tell all Muslims: vote to defend marriage

Mike Judge — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:17:39 +0000

Imams in Glasgow have told all Muslims throughout Scotland not to vote for any local election candidate on 3 May who supports redefining marriage. The news will trouble the leaders of major parties, all of whom have indicated their personal support for the plan. A statement was issued yesterday by the Council of Glasgow Imams [...]

Voters deliver gay marriage protest petition to Sturgeon

Roger Jordan — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:00:17 +0000

A petition opposing the redefinition of marriage has been presented to Scotland’s Deputy First Minister. Representatives from a Roman Catholic group handed the petition, which was signed by 1,000 people, to Nicola Sturgeon at her surgery. Brian Henry, the petition’s organiser, said: “We don’t see any reason for a change in the law.” Marriage The [...]

SNP wants ‘families first’ but still mulls redefining marriage

Sam Wylie — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:37:03 +0000

The Scottish National Party (SNP) wants to put “families first” in Glasgow – but at the same time is considering redefining marriage across the country. The leader of the SNP Group in Glasgow, Councillor Allison Hunter, said an administration led by her party would deliver a “fairer deal for local families”. But the Scottish Government, [...]

Cameron looks set to clamp down on raunchy pop videos

Roger Jordan — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:56:32 +0000

Sexually explicit music videos by stars such as Rihanna and Lady Gaga could be given cinema-style age ratings to protect children, under plans being considered by David Cameron. Under the proposals, websites hosting explicit music videos would be forced to introduce age-verification systems similar to those used on gambling websites. The Prime Minister is understood [...]

Kids suffer without boundaries at home, says teachers’ leader

Sam Wylie — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:14:20 +0000

Children who do not have any boundaries at home “resent” them at school, a teachers’ leader has said. Dr Mary Bousted, the general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), made the comments as she said “far too many” children are pampered at home. In comments to journalists during ATL’s annual conference in [...]

Widdecombe lambasts Govt over gay marriage plans

Roger Jordan — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:11:17 +0000

Ann Widdecombe has said that she did not campaign for David Cameron “all day, every day in the last general election” so that he could destroy traditional marriage. The former Cabinet Minister warned that the Government is “determined to press ahead with the removal of the terms ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ in its wholly superfluous introduction [...]

Sunday Times: no need to redefine marriage

Roger Jordan — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:12:15 +0000

The Sunday Times has waded into the redefining marriage debate and accused David Cameron of pushing for an “unnecessary” change. Last month Ben Bradshaw, a former Labour Cabinet Minister who is himself in a civil partnership, branded David Cameron’s plan to rewrite the definion of marriage as “pure politics”. Now The Sunday Times has backed [...]

Tory MPs doubt Cameron’s plan to redefine marriage

Roger Jordan — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:48:05 +0000

Most Conservative MPs doubt whether David Cameron’s controversial plan to redefine marriage will succeed, a new survey has revealed. The survey, conducted by ComRes, found that 37 per cent of Conservative MPs believe the contentious proposal is doomed to failure. A further 22 per cent of Tory MPs said that they were unsure about the [...]

Cameron’s gay marriage plot branded ‘pure politics’

Roger Jordan — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:02:42 +0000

David Cameron’s controversial plan to rewrite the definition of marriage has been branded “pure politics” by former Labour Cabinet Minister Ben Bradshaw. Mr Bradshaw, who became one of the first openly gay members of Parliament, said that the issue was not “a priority for the gay community, which already won equal rights” with civil partnerships. [...]

PM tries to appease church leaders over gay marriage

Roger Jordan — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:00:35 +0000

The Prime Minister has told church leaders that he does not want to “fall out” with them over his controversial plan to redefine marriage. While David Cameron indicated that he intended to press ahead with the radical proposal he also appeared to suggest that it could be defeated. Speaking at a Downing Street Easter reception [...]

Archbishop: children should learn the Lord’s Prayer

Roger Jordan — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:00:20 +0000

The Lord’s Prayer should be taught to children in the nation’s schools, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. Dr Rowan Williams’ comment came as a survey revealed that today’s children are half as likely to know the Prayer compared to their counterparts in the 1970s. Dr Williams, who is due to step down later this [...]

Judges: Civil partnerships are same as marriage

Roger Jordan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:02:01 +0000

The legal rights on dissolving a same-sex civil partnership are exactly the same as a divorce between a married couple, the Court of Appeal has ruled. Supporters of traditional marriage say it shows that there is no need to introduce gay marriage because the legal rights are already available through civil partnerships. The case centred [...]

Archbishop: ‘identity politics’ leaves society ‘fragmented’

Gordon Bell — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:00:33 +0000

“Identity politics” should not trump the common good, according to the head of the Anglican Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that the continued championing of feminism, ethnic minorities and gay rights could leave society “fragmented”. Dr Rowan Williams made the comments during a visit to Cardiff where he discussed the issue of identity with [...]

Judges call for ‘no fault’ divorce

Sam Wylie — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:46:13 +0000

Two senior judges want to see the introduction of ‘no fault’ divorce in England, but critics say it will lead to a greater injustice in divorce cases. The judges’ call comes as a woman lost her appeal against a court’s decision to grant her husband a divorce. The divorce was granted under the grounds of [...]

MEP: gay marriage will spark grassroots Tory revolt

Roger Jordan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:30:13 +0000

David Cameron’s controversial plan to change the definition of marriage will spark a grassroots party revolt, a Conservative MEP has warned. Giles Chichester, who represents the Tory Party in Europe, has written a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to reconsider his “bizarre attempt to redefine marriage”. Mr Chichester supports civil partnerships but lists [...]

Government report says ‘poor parenting’ to blame for riots

Gordon Bell — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:17:03 +0000

“Poor parenting” and a lack of male role models were a key factor in last year’s riots, a Government-commissioned report has concluded. The report also pointed the finger at the materialistic culture and lack of values amongst young people. Five people died during the five days of rioting, with thousands of crimes committed. The report [...]

RC Archbishop Conti warns against redefining marriage

Sam Wylie — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:45:12 +0000

Laws should not be used to “recreate our society according to passing fashions and ideologies” a senior Roman Catholic Archbishop has said as he criticised plans to redefine marriage. Mario Conti, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow, cautioned against those who want to redefine marriage “without any reference to children” and also warned of a [...]

MP blasts ‘radical’ plan to redefine marriage

Roger Jordan — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:00:36 +0000

The Government’s “radical” plan to redefine marriage would undermine a “treasured institution”, a Conservative MP has warned. Julian Brazier, the MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, says he will vote against the plans if they come to the Commons. Mr Brazier said: “It seems to me this is a very radical measure which will undermine a [...]

Gay marriage isn’t a human right, says European Court

Roger Jordan — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:35:28 +0000

The European Court of Human Rights has reiterated its ruling that same-sex marriage is not a human right that can be found within the Convention. The Court made the ruling in 2010 but reiterated its decision last week in a separate case involving a lesbian couple from France. The Strasbourg-based Court’s original decision on same-sex [...]

Speaker ‘lectures’ the Queen about gay rights

Roger Jordan — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:50:51 +0000

Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, has annoyed MPs by using the Queen’s diamond jubilee to ‘lecture’ her on gay rights. The Queen was in Westminster Hall to speak at an event in celebration of her 60-year reign. In an introduction speech that lasted almost as long as the Queen’s own speech, Mr [...]

Redefining marriage is not a vote winner, warns top Tory

Roger Jordan — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:52:53 +0000

David Cameron’s plan to rewrite the definition of marriage is not a vote winner, an influential Conservative commentator has warned. Tim Montgomerie, the editor of the Conservative Home blog, has made clear that he personally supports redefining the institution. But he has also warned that the Tories should be prioritising issues such as rising fuel [...]

Gay marriage a ‘poke in the eye’ to public – Sun editor

Gordon Bell — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:43:48 +0000

Plans to introduce gay marriage are a “poke in the eye” to the 70 per cent of the British population who believe marriage should remain a heterosexual institution, says The Sun’s associate editor. Writing in The Sun, which has a circulation of 2.7 million, Trevor Kavanagh said: “Changing the structure of marriage, under pressure from [...]

Gay marriage plan ‘won’t win Cameron next election’

Gordon Bell — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:00:23 +0000

David Cameron’s plans for same-sex marriage are ill-considered and will not win him the next election, a former Chairman of the Conservative Party has said. Lord Tebbit, a former Cabinet minister, raised several concerns about the redefinition of marriage, such as the words “husband” and “wife” being scrapped, whether marriage will be confined to two [...]

Leave definition of marriage alone, Muslims warn

Roger Jordan — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:00:34 +0000

The case for the Government’s proposal to redefine marriage is “strikingly weak”, the UK’s largest Muslim umbrella group has warned. The Home Office launched a three-month consultation on the issue last week, but critics branded it a “sham” which will ignore any opposition. Now the Muslim Council of Britain has warned that plans to rewrite [...]

Redefining marriage could affect monarchy, says MP

Gordon Bell — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:14:46 +0000

The UK could be thrown into a constitutional crisis if marriage is redefined, a Tory MP has warned. Peter Bone MP has written to equalities minister Lynne Featherstone asking whether the Government has considered the constitutional implications. If same-sex marriage is allowed, he said, a lesbian Queen could reign on the throne with a Queen [...]

Telegraph columnist calls for referendum on marriage

Gordon Bell — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:00:41 +0000

A Daily Telegraph columnist has become the latest figure to call for a public referendum on whether marriage should be redefined. Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone launched a consultation on same-sex marriage last week, stressing that it is “how” not “whether” the change is introduced. But The Telegraph’s Ed West branded it a “sham”, and urged [...]

Senior Sikh and Jewish rabbi oppose redefining marriage

Sam Wylie — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:19:46 +0000

A Sikh Peer and a senior Jewish rabbi have both spoken out against redefining marriage as opposition continues to mount against the Government. Lord Singh and Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet’s concern comes in the wake of the Government launching a consultation on redefining marriage last week. There has also been a warning that redefining marriage could [...]

Polygamous Muslim unions on the rise in Britain

Gordon Bell — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:45:42 +0000

An “unprecedented” number of Muslim women are inquiring about polygamy, the Islamic Sharia Council in Britain has said. Newspaper reports suggest that thousands of Muslim women in Britain are entering polygamous relationships. The news comes as the Westminster Government launched a consultation on whether marriage should be redefined. Polygamy British Muslim men reportedly bring about [...]

Widow of top Lib Dem quits party over gay marriage

Gordon Bell — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:14:01 +0000

The widow of a former deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats has resigned from the party after almost 50 years because of its plans to redefine marriage. In a letter printed in a Scottish national newspaper last week, Lady Joan Johnston said gay marriage was the ‘straw that has finally broken the camel’s back’. She [...]

Comment: Don’t let the Government ignore you

Gordon Bell — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:39:42 +0000

You may have heard that the Government is determined to redefine marriage come what may. Don’t be fooled; they’re just trying to close down the debate. They think people’s opposition to redefining marriage will melt away if it looks like a done deal. But it will actually do the opposite. The British public have a [...]

Newspapers cast doubt on gay marriage consultation

Sam Wylie — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:15:01 +0000

Two national newspapers have today raised doubts about the Government’s consultation on redefining marriage. Both The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail reported that the consultation is about how, not whether, to bring in same-sex marriage. The three-month consultation, which was launched yesterday, has already been branded a “sham” by a group supporting the traditional [...]

Ex-Times editor questions plans to redefine marriage

Roger Jordan — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:43:45 +0000

Redefining marriage would weaken an institution that society needs to be strong, a former editor of The Times has said. William Rees-Mogg, the newspaper’s editor from 1967-1981, made the comments following the launch of a controversial consultation on the issue. While the former editor says that he usually sympathizes “with the liberal attitude on these [...]

‘Husband’ and ‘wife’ terms axed if marriage is redefined

Gordon Bell — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:14:00 +0000

An official Government paper has revealed that plans to redefine marriage would result in the terms “husband” and “wife” being removed from official forms. Important paperwork, including tax documents, would have to be rewritten to avoid assuming that a married couple means a man and a woman. In the Home Office’s ‘impact analysis’ of its [...]

CofE criticises Government’s civil marriage misnomer

Gordon Bell — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:30:29 +0000

The Church of England has rebutted the Government’s claim that civil and religious marriage are two completely different institutions. Yesterday the Government launched a consultation on redefining marriage, with the Home Office saying only “civil” marriage would be affected. But a statement from the Archbishops’ Council said they had “mistaken the form of the ceremony [...]

Censored: WI rejects pro-marriage advert

Sam Wylie — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:58:54 +0000

The Women’s Institute has refused to carry an advert promoting traditional marriage claiming that it may “offend” its members. The Coalition for Marriage (C4M), a grassroots organisation which supports the current definition of marriage, had wanted to place an advert in the Women’s Institute (WI) Life magazine – which is sent to more than 210,000 [...]

Poll shows most Scots don’t want marriage redefined

Gordon Bell — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:20:32 +0000

Most Scots do not want marriage to be redefined, according to a new survey. An Opinion Research Business poll of over 1,000 Scottish adults found that 53 per cent agreed that homosexual couples should not be allowed to redefine marriage for everyone else. It revealed 36 per cent disagreed. The Scottish Government is still analysing [...]

Critics brand gay marriage consultation a ‘sham’

Roger Jordan — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:39:20 +0000

The Westminster Government’s official consultation on redefining marriage has been branded a “sham” which will ignore any opposition. The consultation, which was launched this morning, asks the public if they “agree or disagree” with rewriting the definition of marriage. However, it also makes clear that it is a matter of how not whether the contentious [...]

Government publishes marriage ‘consultation’

Roger Jordan — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:01:04 +0000

The Westminster Government has today started a consultation on its controversial plans to redefine marriage. In response to the growing opposition to the proposals, the Government has added a question that asks the public whether they agree with the idea. However, sceptics say ‘asking’ is not the same thing as ‘listening’ – especially when the [...]

Labour Peer: Gay marriage could have Orwellian results

Gordon Bell — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:00:38 +0000

A senior QC has warned that English law could refer to fathers and mothers with terms like “Progenitor A” and “Progenitor B” if marriage is redefined. Labour Peer Lord Brennan pointed to evidence from countries that have already legalised same-sex marriage, which he said led to the erosion of terms such as ‘husband’ and ‘wife’. [...]

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in gay marriage gimmick

Roger Jordan — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:53:31 +0000

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has waded into the redefining marriage debate by symbolically renaming one of its ice creams in support of gay marriage. The Westminster Government is set to launch a consultation on rewriting the definition of marriage later this week. Ben & Jerry’s has teamed up with Stonewall, a homosexual lobby group, [...]

Govt says marriage is best for raising children

Gordon Bell — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:36:55 +0000

The Government has said in a new report that two married parents are the best way to bring up children. The ‘Social Justice: transforming lives’ document says marriage should be “supported and encouraged” because it provides families with greater stability than other types of relationship. The news comes as the Government is expected to launch [...]

Poll – redefining marriage ‘disastrous’ for independence

Gordon Bell — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:16:53 +0000

A new poll says Scots are less likely to back independence if the Scottish Government redefines marriage. The survey of 1,004 voters showed 11 per cent are less likely to vote to end the union if same-sex marriage is legalised. Just two per cent were more likely to vote for independence as a result. The [...]

Don’t mess with marriage, warns gay politician

Roger Jordan — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:10:20 +0000

People who believe in traditional marriage could find themselves accused of ‘hate crimes’ if marriage is redefined, UKIP’s openly gay London Regional Chairman has cautioned. David Coburn, who is also a London Assembly candidate, also warned that rewriting the definition of marriage would represent an “unnecessary victory roll” by homosexuals. Writing on a homosexual news [...]

Sentamu: don’t force the redefinition of marriage

Roger Jordan — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:50:34 +0000

David Cameron should choose “masterful inactivity” over plans to rewrite the definition of marriage, the Archbishop of York has said. The Government is expected to launch a consultation on redefining marriage later this week. Dr John Sentamu appeared on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday and urged the Government not to push ahead with the [...]

Public say gay marriage not a priority for Government

Gordon Bell — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:53:45 +0000

The vast majority of the public have said the Government should be focusing on the economy and public-service reforms instead of bulldozing ahead with plans for same-sex marriage. An ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph showed that 78 per cent oppose proposals to fast-track new homosexual marriage laws ahead of 2015, with just 14 per [...]

Bishop: redefining marriage would be ‘playing with fire’

Roger Jordan — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:21 +0000

The Government would be “playing with fire” if it goes ahead with its contentious plans to redefine marriage, the Bishop of Oxford has warned. Rt Revd John Pritchard said: “It is not up to society or the Government to define marriage at will.” He added: “It is God’s primary intention for males and females to [...]

Will Young: arrest vicars who say gay marriage is ‘abhorrent’

Gordon Bell — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:34:43 +0000

Openly gay popstar Will Young believes vicars who describe gay marriage as ‘abhorrent’ should be prosecuted for hate crimes. He made the comments live on national television as BBC1’s Question Time debated Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s remarks about same-sex marriage. Daily Mail columnist Janice Atkinson, who was also on the show, warned that clergy could be [...]

The Sun: let public vote on plans to redefine marriage

Roger Jordan — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:39:25 +0000

Redefining marriage is a “very big issue” for society and it should be put to a public vote, Britain’s biggest selling newspaper has said. The Westminster Government is expected to launch a consultation on how, not whether, to redefine marriage imminently. But an editorial in today’s Sun, which has a circulation of 2.7 million, says: [...]

Gay marriage driven by elites, not the people

Sam Wylie — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:43:47 +0000

Redefining marriage is not being driven by the people, it is being pushed by a liberal elite who want to feel superior over the rest of us, a commentator says. Brendan O’Neill says homosexual marriage is a tool of the elite – a litmus test of cosmopolitan values – rather than a demand of the [...]

Bishop: protecting marriage benefits whole of society

Roger Jordan — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:20:37 +0000

Preserving marriage as a union between one man and one woman is in the interests of the “wider good of society”, the former Bishop of Rochester has said. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali also affirmed the Church’s right to defend marriage, warning that the issue is a matter of significance. “The Church is not in this to [...]

Poll: 70 per cent oppose redefining marriage

Roger Jordan — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:04:12 +0000

Most people in Britain want to keep the current definition of marriage unchanged, according to a new survey. The survey showed that seven out of ten people agree that marriage should remain a “life-long exclusive commitment between a man and a woman”. It also revealed that 84 per cent of respondents agreed that “children have [...]

Telegraph editorial warns Govt on redefining marriage

Gordon Bell — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:08:40 +0000

A national newspaper has used its editorial on two consecutive days to warn the Government over its proposals to redefine marriage. On Tuesday The Daily Telegraph said that legislating for homosexual marriage risked “undermining the traditional family”. The previous day its editorial highlighted the “unintended consequences” of such a move, and questioned whether it was [...]

Baby is born following sex change for both parents

Gordon Bell — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:14:08 +0000

In what is understood to be a world-first, a mother and father both changed sex before the birth of their first child. In the confusing case, the boy’s mother Joyce was seven months pregnant before realising she was expecting, because she had been taking testosterone to try to become a man. Her husband Jason had [...]

Senior Guardian writer: gay marriage would be unwise

Sam Wylie — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:09:56 +0000

A senior Guardian journalist has said it “will be wise” for the Government not to change the definition of marriage. Michael White, an assistant editor at the Guardian, made the comments as the debate intensified over the issue. In an article entitled “noisy bishops are not always wrong” Mr White said “instinct” told him “it [...]

5 million Catholics urged to oppose redefining marriage

Roger Jordan — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:58:33 +0000

England’s five million Roman Catholics are being urged by their leadership to resist Government plans to redefine marriage. Archbishop Vincent Nichols – the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales – has written a letter to be read out in 2,500 churches this weekend. The letter, co-signed by the Archbishop of Southwark, [...]

Gay marriage could dog PM like Blair’s hunting ban

Sam Wylie — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:35:09 +0000

David Cameron’s plans to redefine marriage could dog him for years – just like the hunting ban did to Tony Blair, the BBC’s Andrew Marr says. Tony Blair came to regret his controversial decision to ban fox hunting, a decision which proved to be far more controversial than he had imagined. Andrew Marr, on his [...]

Cardinal slams plans to redefine marriage

Roger Jordan — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:59:43 +0000

The Government’s proposals to redefine marriage are a “grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right”, Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic has warned. Cardinal Keith O’Brien accused David Cameron of trying to “redefine reality” at the “behest of a small minority of activists”. And he urged members of the public to sign a petition, organised [...]

Number of marriages increases in 2010

Gordon Bell — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:00:03 +0000

The number of weddings in England and Wales increased by almost four per cent in 2010, according to new figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that there were 241,100 marriages in 2010, a rise of over 8,500 from the previous year. Analysts say the recession has caused a desire for the stability marriage [...]

Teen pregnancies fall by almost 10 per cent

Gordon Bell — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:53:52 +0000

The number of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales fell by almost 10 per cent in 2010, according to new figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that 34,633 under-18s fell pregnant in 2010 – the lowest figure since the 1960s. Norman Wells, from the Family Education Trust, said the reduction came at the [...]

It’s OK to kill newborn babies, claim academics

Roger Jordan — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:30:25 +0000

Medics should be able to kill newborn babies if they are disabled, too expensive or simply unwanted, according to an explosive article by two academics. The article says that infanticide, the killing of newborn babies, should be “permissible in all the cases where abortion is, including cases where the newborn is not disabled”. The report’s [...]

Video: Lesbian feminist rejects same-sex marriage

Gordon Bell — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:39:23 +0000

Sky News’ “most famous lesbian” has declared that the campaign for same-sex marriage is “a waste of time and effort”. Feminist Julie Bindel made the remarks live on air last week in response to comments from Stonewall co-founder Sir Ian McKellen. The Coalition for Marriage petition, which opposes the redefinition of marriage, has a petition [...]

Ann Widdecombe: let the people decide on marriage

Sam Wylie — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:34:53 +0000

David Cameron should ask the public for their view on redefining marriage before ploughing ahead with “the most fundamental change to society in centuries”, Ann Widdecombe has said. The former MP said if the Prime Minister “insists on pushing ahead” with the change then there should be a referendum on the issue. Miss Widdecombe made [...]

Archbishop: Law should not redefine marriage

Roger Jordan — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:35:43 +0000

Marriage should not be redefined in law, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned yesterday in a speech about human rights. Dr Rowan Williams said that some religious communities “feel that alien cultural standards are somehow being imposed – particularly in regard to inherited views of marriage and family.” He added: “If it is said, for example, [...]