David Cameron's strange battle for gay marriage has given a gift to gay people but also to Labour

By Tim Stanley


Gay people have moved one step closer to the right to be as unhappy as the rest of us. The equal marriage bill sailed through the Commons tonight on a 400 to 175 vote and now faces a spell in committee, report and the House of Lords before, finally, gay folks will earn the right to tell mother-in-law jokes. Make the most of it, people. You'll soon discover that a lot of truth is spoken in jest.

The number of Conservative MPs who voted against the bill (and more Tories voted against than in favour) says a lot about David Cameron’s trouble with his party. But the debate also highlighted the trouble with British democracy in general. Although there is plenty of talent in Parliament, this discussion didn’t showcase it (the benches were often surprisingly empty). And while gay marriage is a complex issue spanning ethics, religion and sociology, the current breed of politician seems unwilling, or unable, to talk in such lofty terms. The result was less Gladstone v Disraeli than it was Claire Raynor v Richard Littlejohn – a war of tired clichés.

The most popular word on the pro-gay marriage side was "equality". It’s a nice word, a word to aspire to. But when dealing with ancient institutions newly discovered equalities have to be justified just as certainly as old discriminations, and full equality cannot exist in cases where there is intrinsic difference (“Dan White: can two men reproduce? Harvey Milk: No, but God knows we keep trying”). But when the case for equality is uprooted from ethics and simply becomes a political slogan (“equality cannot be partial” said Stephen Williams MP, arguing against paradox) then it starts to lose purpose or even blur the meaning of other concepts (“we should be valuing diversity but treating everyone equally,” said Steve Gilbert MP, speaking in paradox). By far the biggest rhetorical sin was committed by Labour’s Steve Reed, who stated bluntly, “If you don't like gay marriage, don't marry a gay person.” [Read more here]