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| Gay marriage bill at risk of collapse, Downing Street warns | Gay marriage bill at risk of collapse, Downing Street warns |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Maria Miller, the equalities minister, has warned that the entire gay marriage bill will be at risk of collapse if Tory opponents join forces with Labour MPs to vote in favour of granting civil partnerships to heterosexual couples. | Maria Miller, the equalities minister, has warned that the entire gay marriage bill will be at risk of collapse if Tory opponents join forces with Labour MPs to vote in favour of granting civil partnerships to heterosexual couples. |
| In the strongest indication yet that Downing Street will shelve the bill if "fundamental" changes are made, Miller warned that opponents were in danger of giving the government a "headache". | In the strongest indication yet that Downing Street will shelve the bill if "fundamental" changes are made, Miller warned that opponents were in danger of giving the government a "headache". |
| The intervention by Miller, hours before MPs vote on a series of amendments to the marriage (same sex couples) bill, marks an intensification of government warnings over threats to the bill. | The intervention by Miller, hours before MPs vote on a series of amendments to the marriage (same sex couples) bill, marks an intensification of government warnings over threats to the bill. |
| Downing Street is prepared for a bruising day on Monday as up to 150 Tory MPs prepare to show their unease with David Cameron by voting to give teachers and registrars a series of exemptions. These are likely to fail because the bulk of the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats will join forces with enough Tory MPs to ensure the "exemption" amendments fail. | |
| All votes are free because the bill has been designated a matter of conscience by all the parties. | All votes are free because the bill has been designated a matter of conscience by all the parties. |
| But Downing Street believes it will be defeated because most Labour MPs are prepared to vote with Tory MPs to amend the bill to allow civil partnerships to heterosexual couples. The government, which regards this as a wrecking amendment, warned on Sunday that the amendment on civil partnerships could cost £4bn. Sources also warned it would delay the implementation of the bill by two years, until after the 2015 general election. | |
| Miller stepped up the pressure on Labour to abandon its support for the amendment when she warned of a risk to the bill. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I want to be seeing marriages being undertaken under this new bill as early as next summer. To actually put in at this stage such a fundamental change risks that, and it risks significant delay. Those that are supporting it need to be very aware of that." | |
| Asked whether the amendment would wreck the bill, Miller said: "I think it would throw up significant challenges. Obviously, it would be for us to go through a consultation and a consideration period to understand how that would work because at the moment there really isn't the detail there … It throws up a headache because those that remember the issues round the civil partnership bill will remember it took some two years to finalise." | Asked whether the amendment would wreck the bill, Miller said: "I think it would throw up significant challenges. Obviously, it would be for us to go through a consultation and a consideration period to understand how that would work because at the moment there really isn't the detail there … It throws up a headache because those that remember the issues round the civil partnership bill will remember it took some two years to finalise." |
| Labour believes Miller is attempting to clear the way for No 10 to abandon the bill as the prime minister attempts to appease Tory activists who are strongly opposed to the measure. The former Tory children's minister Tim Loughton, who is tabling the civil partnership amendment, accused the government of scaremongering, and said the warning of a £4bn cost was a "back-of-the-fag-packet" calculation. | |
| But Miller identified three threats to the bill if the Loughton amendment were passed: | But Miller identified three threats to the bill if the Loughton amendment were passed: |
| • A "whole new cadre" of opposite-sex civil partners would be entitled to pensions. | • A "whole new cadre" of opposite-sex civil partners would be entitled to pensions. |
| • Westminster has no power over marriage in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There would be "considerable" issues to negotiate. | • Westminster has no power over marriage in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There would be "considerable" issues to negotiate. |
| • International recognition of heterosexual civil partnerships would have to be examined. | • International recognition of heterosexual civil partnerships would have to be examined. |
| Miller said: "These are very practical issues, very important issues. They are issues that need to be looked at if we are to legislate. I think it would not be responsible to legislate in this way at this point in time." | Miller said: "These are very practical issues, very important issues. They are issues that need to be looked at if we are to legislate. I think it would not be responsible to legislate in this way at this point in time." |
| But the equalities minister declined to mention the £4bn "price tag" highlighted by government sources on Sunday. She said the cost of equalising pension survivor rights in contracted-in and contracted-out schemes would be around £90m. But equalising rights for widows and widowers would lead to higher costs. | But the equalities minister declined to mention the £4bn "price tag" highlighted by government sources on Sunday. She said the cost of equalising pension survivor rights in contracted-in and contracted-out schemes would be around £90m. But equalising rights for widows and widowers would lead to higher costs. |
| Miller said: "It would make a fundamental difference to the passage of the bill because what the amendment [to extend civil partnerships to heterosexual couples] is trying to do is to import in a very complicated concept, which took more than 200 clauses to explain in the original civil partnership bill, into a bill which is all about extending marriage. It is trying to do that in just two very short amendments. | Miller said: "It would make a fundamental difference to the passage of the bill because what the amendment [to extend civil partnerships to heterosexual couples] is trying to do is to import in a very complicated concept, which took more than 200 clauses to explain in the original civil partnership bill, into a bill which is all about extending marriage. It is trying to do that in just two very short amendments. |
| "It introduces complexity, which would not only delay the passage of the bill through parliament but … would also put forward a number of quite fundamental policy issues which would need considerable thought and consultation." | "It introduces complexity, which would not only delay the passage of the bill through parliament but … would also put forward a number of quite fundamental policy issues which would need considerable thought and consultation." |
| At least two cabinet ministers – the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, and the Wales secretary, David Jones – are prepared to vote for separate amendments that would grant exemptions to teachers and registrars. Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, and John Hayes, the prime minister's unofficial envoy to the Tory right, may also side with opponents of the bill in the votes. | At least two cabinet ministers – the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, and the Wales secretary, David Jones – are prepared to vote for separate amendments that would grant exemptions to teachers and registrars. Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, and John Hayes, the prime minister's unofficial envoy to the Tory right, may also side with opponents of the bill in the votes. |
| But Labour rejected what it called the farcical warnings, as sources noted that the supposed size of the "price tag" had grown from £3bn to £4bn in five days. One source said: "They are wrecking this bill themselves and trying to blame others." | But Labour rejected what it called the farcical warnings, as sources noted that the supposed size of the "price tag" had grown from £3bn to £4bn in five days. One source said: "They are wrecking this bill themselves and trying to blame others." |
| Loughton accused the government of scaremongering after issuing its warnings about the dangers supposedly posed by his amendment. He told the Guardian: "This scaremongering just won't wash. The government has come up with a lot of desperate last-minute excuses as to why giving full equality of civil partnerships will not work. This is what comes when you try to redefine marriage without having thought through the consequences. | Loughton accused the government of scaremongering after issuing its warnings about the dangers supposedly posed by his amendment. He told the Guardian: "This scaremongering just won't wash. The government has come up with a lot of desperate last-minute excuses as to why giving full equality of civil partnerships will not work. This is what comes when you try to redefine marriage without having thought through the consequences. |
| "One of those consequences is that the majority of the population and MPs clearly want equality for civil partnerships. The government bill, as it stands, will deny them that equality. So they need urgently to do the work to make it happen." | "One of those consequences is that the majority of the population and MPs clearly want equality for civil partnerships. The government bill, as it stands, will deny them that equality. So they need urgently to do the work to make it happen." |
| Last night Loughton tweeted: "£4bn is back of fag packet scaremongering particularly if Govt doubt straight couples want civil partnership." | Last night Loughton tweeted: "£4bn is back of fag packet scaremongering particularly if Govt doubt straight couples want civil partnership." |