Response to extending civil partnerships '˜woefully feeble'

The Government's response to plans to extend civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples has been branded '˜woefully feeble' by East Worthing and Shoreham's MP.
Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, in the House of Commmons arguing for the extension of civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples (photo from Parliament.tv).Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, in the House of Commmons arguing for the extension of civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples (photo from Parliament.tv).
Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, in the House of Commmons arguing for the extension of civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples (photo from Parliament.tv).

Tim Loughton, who put forward a Private Members’ Bill which was discussed in the House of Commons on Friday (January 13), argued that legalising gay marriage had ‘unwittingly created a new inequality’ as civil partnerships were now only available to same-sex couples.

However Government ministers explained that they ‘want to see what happens and to look at the data before taking any further decisions on the matter’.

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Afterwards Mr Loughton tweeted: “Predictably the Govt talked out my bill to extend equality to civil partnerships but the reasons given for not backing were woefully feeble.”

He added: “Robert Halfon [minster for apprenticeships and skills] seemed to suggest that reason Govt opposes changes to civil partnerships is because needed more time yet it has been over three years since Same Sex Marriage Act was rushed through in just months facing greater challenges-so how much longer to address inequality?”

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