Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill — Report (1st Day)

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 4:00 pm on 8 July 2013.

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Photo of Lord Richard Lord Richard Labour 4:00, 8 July 2013

My Lords, I have an enormous respect for the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay, as he knows, but as a long-standing judge he also knows that when one says, “With the greatest respect”, one knows precisely what the phrase means. I have great respect for him and his argument but I am afraid that, on this, he is wrong. He is wrong because the reintroduction of a distinction that the Bill takes out is dangerous, destructive, divisive and debilitating.

I listened to this debate with great care and, with great respect to the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, he let the cat out of the bag when he stood there and said, “We have given you marriage, now give us the distinction”. That is a contradiction in relation to the Bill; the whole point of the Bill is that there is no distinction in relation to marriage. Marriage is something that will be available to gay couples in the same way that it is available to non-gay couples.

As I say, I have listened to this debate and it has gone round and round, but I have little doubt which way I shall vote if a vote takes place.