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[Closed] M2 - Civil Partnerships

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Charles Kinbote
(@charles-kinbote)
Member Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 54
Topic starter  

That this House believes that, as we have same-sex marriage, we should also allow heterosexual couples to have civil partnerships.

MP for Woking 2005 -

TOTAL EXPERIENCE 44

Parliamentary 20
Media 15
Policy 9


   
Nathan
(@nathan)
Estimable Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 214
 

Speaker:

Leader of the House?


   
Barclay Calhoun (CON)
(@barclay-calhoun)
MP for New Forest West Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 33
 

Mr. Speaker,

The Government will schedule time for this debate.

Rt. Hon. Barclay Calhoun
MP for New Forest West
Shadow Leader of the House
Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport
Greater Britain Committee

Parliamentary experience: Unknown (19)
Media experience: Unknown (17)
Policy experience: Unknown (10)


   
Nathan
(@nathan)
Estimable Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 214
 

[Debate open until 09/03/2019 23:59]


   
Andrew Summer
(@andrew-summer)
Member Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 32
 

Mr. Speaker,

After giving the matter some thought since the Hon. Gentleman first proposed this idea some time ago I'd like to express my support for this motion and also express my hope the incoming Cabinet - particularly the Home Secretary and the Justice Secretary - will embrace this idea and hopefully implement it via appropriate legislation.

One thing I learned during my tenure at the Ministry of Justice taught me not only the value of fairness and equality in terms of the law, but also the relevance of empathy as a means to understand issues which might be somewhat removed of our own realities or interests, but which are nonetheless all too real and serious for others. Perhaps one oversight which we may have not accounted for as a body in the debates of the past few months and years was how indeed the notion of civil partnerships would only apply to same-sex couples and not to opposite-sex ones, which the curious reversal of situations in which a group has access to civil partnership and the other does not.

This, of course, in a context in which there are many cases of couples that while uninterested on marriage may be keenly interested in entering a civil partnership, and that is certainly to be respected and considered within the law. The more I think of it, Mr. Speaker, the more this seems like a matter of basic empathy and seems not to have large potential drawbacks outside of the need to perhaps educate the public on what civil partnerships entail and thus avoid any misunderstandings. But in the end it seems to me there is no real credible reason to consider this measure unnecessary or something that should not be made into law so we can give those couples an option.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I commend my Hon. Friend for bringing this issue up before this House, I hope the House will vote in favor of it and that the government may include it on their agenda.

Rt. Hon. Andrew Summer MP
First Secretary of State (2013 - 2014)
Justice Secretary (2013 - 2014, 2014 - Present)
Nations, Regions, and Local Government Secretary (2014 - Present)
Member of Parliament for Ashford (2001 - Present)

Parliamentary experience: Unknown (19)
Media experience: Unknown (22)
Policy experience: Unknown (13)


   
Charles Kinbote
(@charles-kinbote)
Member Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 54
Topic starter  

Mr. Speaker,

I am pleased to see that debating time has been given to this motion. My Rt. Hon. Friend is correct, whilst we have marriage equality, we have civil partnership inequality, and we must, if we have introduced same-sex marriage in the name of equality, we cannot sit back and allow inequality to still exist. If marriage is to be open to all, regardless of their sexuality , so should civil partnerships.

MP for Woking 2005 -

TOTAL EXPERIENCE 44

Parliamentary 20
Media 15
Policy 9


   
Anita Redmond
(@anita-redmond)
MP for North Somerset Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 58
 

Mister Speaker,

I concur with the Honourable Member for Woking, that such an arrangement should be allowed under law, although not simply because we now have same-sex marriages, but because in the terms of fairness, it's the right thing to do.

Not everyone desires marriage - whether because they are not religious or simply do not want the ties of marriage - but they then often find themselves at a significant disadvantage legally, particularly when it comes to the rights and benefits offered to couples usually granted only via marriage.

Mister Speaker, I believe that such an arrangement for hetro-sexual couples is absolutely right. I'd stipulate that they are by no means any different to the existing civil partnerships enjoyed by same-sex couples.

Rt. Hon. Anita Redmond MP
Conservative Member of Parliament for North Somerset
Shadow Education Secretary
Shadow Minister for Women & Equalities

Former Home Secretary (2014)
Total Experience: 65
Parliamentary: Novice (25)
Media: Novice (29)
Policy: Unknown (11)


   
Macmillan
(@dylan-macmillan)
MP for North East Bedfordshire Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 560
 

Mr Speaker,

I would like to confirm, for the benefit of the House, that should this motion today prove to be successful the Government will present the necessary legislation to legalise heterosexual civil partnerships. I would also like to confirm that I am in favour of these moves and would like to commend my honourable friend the Member for Woking for his tireless efforts in bringing this matter to the attention of the House.

Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire
Leader of the Opposition (2014-16)

Prime Minister (2014)

Parliamentary Experience: Novice (25)
Media Experience: Experienced (62)
Policy Experience: Novice (29)


   
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