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| Civil partnerships: First mixed-sex unions to take place | Civil partnerships: First mixed-sex unions to take place |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Thousands of heterosexual couples in England and Wales are expected to enter into civil partnerships later today. | Thousands of heterosexual couples in England and Wales are expected to enter into civil partnerships later today. |
| The unions will take place after a long legal battle against the law, which had only permitted same-sex couples to become civil partners. | |
| The partnerships offer almost identical rights as marriage, including property, inheritance and tax entitlements. | The partnerships offer almost identical rights as marriage, including property, inheritance and tax entitlements. |
| Approximately 84,000 mixed-sex couples could become civil partners next year, the government has estimated. | |
| The changes come after heterosexual couple Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan won their legal bid at the Supreme Court in 2018 for the right to have a civil partnership instead of a marriage. | The changes come after heterosexual couple Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan won their legal bid at the Supreme Court in 2018 for the right to have a civil partnership instead of a marriage. |
| As a result, rules were changed to extend civil partnerships - available to same-sex couples since 2005 - to everyone. | As a result, rules were changed to extend civil partnerships - available to same-sex couples since 2005 - to everyone. |
| Five years after being refused permission to give notice of a heterosexual civil partnership, Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan will finally become civil partners today. | Five years after being refused permission to give notice of a heterosexual civil partnership, Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan will finally become civil partners today. |
| Their conscientious objection to marriage and what they saw as its patriarchal associations led to a lengthy legal battle culminating in a unanimous Supreme Court ruling last year that the law was discriminatory and breached their right to a family and private life. | Their conscientious objection to marriage and what they saw as its patriarchal associations led to a lengthy legal battle culminating in a unanimous Supreme Court ruling last year that the law was discriminatory and breached their right to a family and private life. |
| The government changed the law, opening such a union to the majority of the UK's 3.3 million co-habiting heterosexual couples. | The government changed the law, opening such a union to the majority of the UK's 3.3 million co-habiting heterosexual couples. |
| Many believe they are already protected by so-called "common law marriages", but these do not exist. | Many believe they are already protected by so-called "common law marriages", but these do not exist. |
| As a result, they do not enjoy the same property, inheritance and tax entitlements as married couples and civil partners. | As a result, they do not enjoy the same property, inheritance and tax entitlements as married couples and civil partners. |
| The government estimates as many as 84,000 mixed sex couples could become civil partners this year, giving them greater rights and protections within their relationships, without having to get married. | The government estimates as many as 84,000 mixed sex couples could become civil partners this year, giving them greater rights and protections within their relationships, without having to get married. |
| Another couple, Julie Thorpe, 61, and Keith Lomax, 70, said they were looking forward to being among the first mixed-sex people to officially enter a civil partnership - but it would not change their relationship "one jot". | Another couple, Julie Thorpe, 61, and Keith Lomax, 70, said they were looking forward to being among the first mixed-sex people to officially enter a civil partnership - but it would not change their relationship "one jot". |
| The couple from near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, have been living together for most of their 37-relationship and have three children. | The couple from near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, have been living together for most of their 37-relationship and have three children. |
| They will have a civil partnership ceremony at a register office in Halifax. | They will have a civil partnership ceremony at a register office in Halifax. |
| Ms Thorpe said: "It won't change our relationship one jot. It will not make any difference to how we behave towards each other when we get up the next day. | Ms Thorpe said: "It won't change our relationship one jot. It will not make any difference to how we behave towards each other when we get up the next day. |
| "We have had a very successful relationship for 37 years and a bit of paper is not going to make any difference to that whatsoever. It does give us some legal protection within that relationship." | "We have had a very successful relationship for 37 years and a bit of paper is not going to make any difference to that whatsoever. It does give us some legal protection within that relationship." |
| Mr Lomax, a human rights lawyer, added: "It is a mutual celebration of all of those and also of the people who actually brought the case to court and changed the law in the first place, because that was a very brave and bold thing to do at considerable financial risk." | Mr Lomax, a human rights lawyer, added: "It is a mutual celebration of all of those and also of the people who actually brought the case to court and changed the law in the first place, because that was a very brave and bold thing to do at considerable financial risk." |