Conservatives “very happy” to consider case for gay marriage
April 14th, 2010 by Martina.Booth
The Conservatives will consider ending the ban on same-sex marriage if elected into Government, according to the Shadow Chancellor George Osborne.
Mr Osborne met gay rights campaigners Peter Tatchell, Tamsin Omond and Deborah Grayson just before a gay flashmob picketed the Conservative Party HQ on Sunday.
He told them that party leader David Cameron would be “very happy to consider the case for gay marriage” - meaning that couples in a civil partnership could legally say that they were married.
Mr Tatchell said the 50-minute meeting with Osborne and fellow Tory frontbenchers Theresa May and Nick Herbert showed the Tories had “good intentions” but were “weak on coherent policy”.
“It was positive that they met us but disappointing that they had nothing to tell us,” he said.
“George Osborne was full of good intentions but very weak on very specific gay rights policies.”
“The best he could do on gay marriage was say he would consider it.”
A Populus poll for The Times last summer found that 61% of the general public believe that lesbian and gay couples should be allowed to get married in a registry office, like their heterosexual counterparts.
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