*Cameron, Clegg, & Miliband allegedly lied

Cameron, Clegg, & Miliband allegedly lied, MPs were not allowed a real free vote on same-sex marriage


A group of MPs have published a letter claiming that they were not allowed a free vote on David Cameron’s same-sex marriage bill in the House of Commons despite all three party leaders’ public commitment to giving MPs the freedom to vote according to their consciences. This allegation has been backed up by a Comres poll of MPs following the vote.

The Catholic Herald reports:

‘In a joint letter, a group of 15 MPs told members of the House of Lords that although the main parties claimed to have allowed MPs to vote with the consciences in reality pressure was placed on them to vote in favour of the controversial legislation.
The signatories said that MPs were threatened with the ruin of their careers if they opposed Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill.

“The main parties announced a free vote but we saw varying degrees of coercion with threats made, for example, to an MP’s future political career or withdrawal of party support at future elections,” said the letter, which was signed by Catholics Edward Leigh, Therese Coffey and Jim Dobbin.

“Regrettably, our ability as MPs to oppose, amend or scrutinise this Bill was heavily constrained,” they said.

According to a national newspaper, some backbench Conservative MPs say they were strongly advised by Ministers not to oppose David Cameron, the Prime Minister, who is determined to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples.
The Conservative Party has denied issuing threats to MPs but a poll by ComRes showed that almost three in 10 Tories and one in 10 Labour MPs did not believe they had a free vote.

During the Third Reading of the Bill in the House of Commons a total of 130 Conservatives rebelled.

Protect the Pope comment: David Cameron’s bill legalizing same-sex marriage is an act of tyranny committed by the ruling elite, that was neither in his election manifesto, nor in the Queen’s speech, and, now we discover, did not have the mandate of a free vote in the House of Commons. The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill is a bankrupt bill, by a bankrupt political establishment, that seeks to legalize a bankrupt, impossible idea – homosexual marriage.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/05/30/mps-urge-lords-to-block-shambolic-gay-marriage-bill/