Cotswolds MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown votes against gay marriage

10:10am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News By Ian Craig

COTSWOLDS MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown defied David Cameron yesterday and voted against introducing gay marriage.

Mr Clifton-Brown was one of 136 Conservative MPs who voted against the bill in the House of Commons, despite the Prime Minister urging them to support it.

The bill was passed by 400 to 175 – a majority of 225 – in what Mr Cameron called "an important step forward."

Mr Clifton-Brown said that he was fulfilling a pledge that he had made to the hundreds of constituents who had written to him.

He confirmed only a handful had written supporting the bill.

“I fully support same sex couples to participate in civil ceremonies, which give them all of the rights and privileges that married couples have,” Mr Clifton-Brown said.

“However I believe that marriage, whether it be civil or religious, is different because it is between a husband and a wife mainly with the aim of having children.

“Although I fully respect all of those who hold this view very strongly, parliament has now voted to allow same sex marriage to proceed and it remains to be seen what unexpected consequences that will cause.”

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Comments(18)

Bob Henson says...
10:27am Wed 6 Feb 13

Good for him. It is time that people rebelled against unnatural practices such as this and reverted to some semblance of Christian morals.

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Oraacle says...
10:50am Wed 6 Feb 13

Henson's comment barely merits comment, except that in its ignorance it highlights the challenges inherent in use of the term "marriage".

Marriage has two distinct uses, one within a religious context, and one within society and government. The church should be able to define the ground rules for marriage from a religious perspective - it's their sandbox, and they can make their rules. A progressive society, however, strives to make things as fair as possible for all its constituents. In this context, "marriage" is a recognition of certain rights and benefits accorded to people in stable relationships and family units.

As long as these two contexts are blurred in debate, there will never be agreement on this issue, and closed-minded dinosaurs such as Henson will continue to attempt to hijack the moral high ground to the detriment of the many members of society who do not fit into their cookie-cutter fantasy world.

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123Referee says...
11:43am Wed 6 Feb 13

Well done Mr Clifton-Brown, As someone who has voted blue all his life i am pleased our MP had stood against an un required law. This is like the hunting bill, pointless and unenfroceable as 90% of religious institutions will not accedde to holding the ceremonies.

Before anyone calls me a bigot, i have no problem with same sex partnerships and indeed some of my closest freinds are gay. However, even they see no need for this as their civil partnership is quite sufficient.

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Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum says...
12:50pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Gay marriages are unnatural and wrong on so many fronts.

It is against nature for two species of the same sex to mate.

Just thinking of such proponents as Elton John & David Furnish turns my stomach.

For once, well done G C-B.

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Cotswold Lad says...
1:22pm Wed 6 Feb 13

GC-B is just so out of touch with the reality of modern life, I am surprised he hasn't voted for the return of a man with a red flag walking in front of all cars.
Love and let live.

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Cotswold Lad says...
3:54pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Another thought - if marriage is between a man and a woman with the aim having children as GC-B says, why did HRH marry Camilla? By the way, the Church doesn't own marriage either, it is a statutory arrangement.

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Fred16 says...
4:38pm Wed 6 Feb 13

So this is our same MP that held his own "until death do us part" marriage vows sacred up until the point of his divorce. Dual standards or what. Stop mucking around with sily issues like this and get on with dealing with real problems like the economy

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Olly Cromwell says...
4:58pm Wed 6 Feb 13

The voting record of Mr Clifton-Brown shows he was against a reduction in the gay age of consent and against Civil Partnerships, so his voting record yesterday comes as no surprise and his words above ring rather hollow.

An out of touch, old fashioned, divorced, Etonian toff.

When can we get rid of him?

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Cotswold Lad says...
5:25pm Wed 6 Feb 13

If anyone quotes "The Bible" as a reason to be against same-sex marriage point them at Exodus Chapter 35. Moses is explaining the seventh day known as the Sabbath ... "Whoever does any work on it must be put to death. Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath." Good luck with that one ...

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Union Man says...
6:55pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Forget the church, the Roman one preaches monogamy and Celibacy but practice pedophile homosexuality, indeed it is almost as if they use the term Celibacy to mean Homosexuality.
Marriage should be the procreation and nurturing of Chidren, Prince Charles is a bad example, many people would agree that he shouldn't have married Camela, But marriage os about children and not sex or companionship and I applaud Mr Clifton-Brown.
And I hope he will also vote against further reductions in the age of consent and further erosion of the laws governing decency.

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Titus Livius says...
8:25pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Re Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum:

"It is against nature for two species of the same sex to mate."

Do you mean two same-sex members of the same species? I think you do.

Any way, you're wrong. If you look closely, it's quite prevalent.

And if you mean its against nature for two species to mate. Well, it happens, so you would be wrong there, too.

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Pentheus says...
10:25pm Wed 6 Feb 13

This law intended by the Government has no mandate. It was not in the Conservative Election manifesto. They have no authority to change a recognised law that has existed for hundreds of years without due consultation of the electorate. The law is badly structured like most hastily prepared "fudged" legislation.

Is this subject really the most important topic to be dealt with ? Hundreds of patients in the Stafford PCT dead by neglect, the economy flatlining, net Govt borrowing still climbing , crime statistics being lied about etc etc .....

But then with issues like this to face its always good practice to have a diversionary plan to get the above subjects off the front pages of the "fish wrappers" .........
Expect another topic swerve when "Dave's" riding chums are up before M'lud on conspiracy and perverting the course of justice charges....

At least GCB had the gumption not to follow the usual tory sheep ......I will give him that.....

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Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum says...
5:23am Thu 7 Feb 13

Titus Livius... you have no views of your own I take it?

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dopey1 says...
8:58am Thu 7 Feb 13

Perhaps GCB doesn't want to be invited to a "wedding" as a "Maid of Honour".

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Bert Wilkins says...
10:33pm Thu 7 Feb 13

As ever, most of you miss the point, that being that GCB voted based on constituency feedback. It doesn't state his views, only that he represented those that showed less apathy than the rest of us.

Wp GCB

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Pentheus says...
5:16pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Did GCB vote on the Iraq war based on constituency feedback when he voted for it? ....... The days of the local MP reflecting the views of the electorate went years ago , have you asked Tory voters next door in Witney about how their MP voted on the above subject ?

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Union Man says...
6:02pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Come on Witney association, listen to the people, de select Cameron,

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Huw Parry says...
2:09pm Mon 11 Feb 13

If I want to marry my long term boyfriend I should have the same basic right as anyone else. Opposing this is discrimination and just goes to show how out of touch the multimillionaire exspense abuser GCB is with the real world.

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