Britain

Another gauntlet thrown down before the British government on marriage issue

Michael Kirke | 12 June 2012

The Church of England has now issued its formal response to the British government’s plans to legislate for gay “marriage” and in doing so throws down yet another gauntlet to David Cameron who still insists on pursuing the Coalition’s policy on this issue. The Daily Telegraph reports on the Church’s response this morning, which dismisses the Coalition's same-sex marriage plans “divisive”, “legally flawed” and “essentially ideological”.

European states not required to grant marriage rights to gays

Michael Kirke | 22 March 2012

The Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has issued a judgement saying that the European Convention on Human Rights “does not require member states’ governments to grant same-sex couples access to marriage." This is not a question of discrimination or human rights, the court has ruled. It reached a decision in the case of a lesbian couple in France.

Hitchens gunning for Cameron on the marriage issue

Michael Kirke | 19 March 2012

Sometime after David Cameron’s election as leader of the Conservative Party in Britain he began to make positive noises about the importance of the family – and of marriage as the institution which gave it stability in society. When the Tories won enough votes in the last general election to enable them to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats some thought things might improve.

Marriage, a mere rite of passage?

Michael Kirke | 27 February 2012

“This is about the underlying principles of family, society, and personal freedoms”, Miss Lynne Featherstone, MP, Britain’s Equalities Minister, wrote in London’s Daily Telegraph last week, referring to her Government’s plans to introduce legislation enabling gay people to describe their civil partnerships as marriage. Reading those words you might think that at last someone is about to address this fraught subject on the basis of such basic things as principles, family, society and personal freedom. But alas, no.