By an overwhelming vote of 400 to 175, the British House of Commons voted in favor of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in England and Wales. The vote comes as a victory for British Prime Minister David Cameron, but has sharpened division within his conservative Tory Party. More than 140 of the 175 votes against the bill were from Tories.
“We are alienating people who’ve voted for us for all of their lives, leaving them with no one to vote for,” Conservative lawmaker Edward Leigh said. “I will be voting tonight to proclaim my support for the future of our children and the essence of traditional marriage.”
Other conservative lawmakers expressed concern that the vote could cost them the election in 2015. While opposition Labor Party’s equalities spokeswoman, Yvette Cooper, stated that “Couples who love each other should be able to get married regardless of their gender and sexuality and we should enjoy that and we should celebrate that.”
Conservative party member Mike Freer, who is gay, told the Commons that “sometimes leadership is about doing what is right, not what is popular.”
In brief, the bill’s fate is by no means certain as it enters the House of Lords for the next level of analysis and voting.
