Government makes religious same-sex union pledge

Symon Hill reports on the House of Lords debate on Monday that led to a government commitment ‘to look at this issue further’

by Symon Hill 28th January 2010

The government will consider measures to give legal recognition to religious same-sex partnership ceremonies, following campaigning by Quakers and other groups.  The commitment marks a significant shift from the government’s previous position. Until this week, they had maintained that no change was needed to the law on same-sex civil partnerships, which does not allow the use of religious language or religious premises. Campaigners are now waiting to see if the commitment is followed up.  Speaking in the House of Lords on Monday 25 January, minister Glenys Thornton said that she was ‘not unsympathetic’ to the case for legal recognition of religious same-sex partnerships.