The Tories are such disarray that even Titan has given up his party membership and joined UKIP.

They are perfectly welcome to leave, as far as I'm concerned.

Makes Private Eye's "From the message boards" look sensible

Makes Private Eye's "From the message boards" look sensible

So wait a minute.

We get to decide on whether gay people getting married is a "good thing", but we don't get to decide whether we p*ss multiple billions of pounds we don't have on taking 20 minutes off a train journey between Birmingham and Manchester?

Thereby improving both parties.
Result.

Given the sort of polls Mr. Gove relies upon, maybe the admins should write to HM Gov offering to hold an EU in/out poll on RLFans, that would be quick, simple, and cost them very little.

The comments sections are always a good check on your own sensibilities.



Indeed, I dare say we could cover the cost with a whip round.

Just before the election in 2010 the Tories introduced their "contract for equalities" document which said they recognised civil partnerships and would recognise them in the tax system.

It also said they would consider changing the law to allow civil partnerships to be called marriages and classified as such.

So putting this bill through, presumably having given due consideration to the issues, is actually keeping a promise the Tory party made as outlined in a major policy document launched by the then shadow equalities minister Theresa May.

There is no need for a referendum as it was a clear party policy before the last election and anyone voting for them can't really object to this bill on the basis of it not being party policy.

The fact their own MP's want to scupper it reflects badly on them.

First of all why did they stand for a party with such a clear policy on this in the first place if they are so against it?

Is it because they fear UKIP?

Either way its disingenuous because it was either right to have this as party policy and so they should defend it given it was, not now claim the opposite or they are showing total lack of principle if they are willing to rip up party policy in the face of a bunch of nutters in UKIP particularly when opinion polls support the bill?

Dave O has it spot on in terms of the Conservative Party's pre-election comments a it's disingenuous at best for the likes of Lord Carey and Co to go around claiming there was no commitment and it was never mentioned.

I do think this is absolutely a case of Tory Central Office and (some) in the Parliamentary party being very shaken by the rise of UKIP in the recent elections and wanting to combat that. The same goes utterly for all the pronouncements on the EU, first from the likes of Lawson and now the likes of standing ministers.

It seems like a UKIPisation of right-wing politics, and I think is the latest incarnation of the Conservatives' problems with the EU, with the added ingredient of equal marriage.