Welcome news for Northern Ireland
Welcome news from Parliament regarding civil liberties in Northern Ireland:
The vote today on marriage equality sends a powerful message of acceptance to the LGBT+ community in Northern Ireland, and gives hope that further progress can and will be achieved. https://t.co/4ANxuI8gaD
— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) July 9, 2019
The vote today, which @LibDems supported, enables #samesexmarriage in #NorthernIreland *if* the NI Assembly remains suspended until October.
We will fight to deliver #equalmarriage in the whole UK, including pension rights, ending #trans spousal veto etc.
— LGBT+ Lib Dems (@LGBTLD) July 9, 2019
(The second tweet refers to the fact that although same-sex marriage was secured by Lynne Featherstone in government, there is still more to be done to make marriage rights equal.)
All but two Liberal Democrat MPs voted in favour. Of the other two, one – Tom Brake – was paired and so should still be counted as a supporter. The other, Tim Farron, abstained:
Simple. If I was a Northern Ireland MLA I’d vote for equal marriage, just as I did in Westminster. But I support devolution and don’t believe I have the right to impose my view on a devolved matter on one of our nations. I respect colleagues who took a different view.
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) July 10, 2019
I am a strong supporter of both same sex marriage and the right to determine if a woman wants or needs an abortion but I too agree with Tim Farron that this should not be imposed by Westminster on either NI, Scotland or Wales although I do think that power sharing must be returned to NI very soon.