We expected more, we deserved better
By Emma.
The joy everyone has a right to
I am truly outraged and horrified by the decision of the Labour Leadership to allow a free vote on equal marriage where previously a whipped vote had been promised.
I’m a straight, married woman. My life will not be materially changed by the outcome of this vote, or the stance of my party, but I do feel that this affects me deeply. I believe that marriage is a great option for me. I believe it doesn’t suit everyone and that there should be no societal pressure to get married. But I feel that by allowing bigotry to become an acceptable part of the marriage debate (and my party’s cowardice on this has done nothing less than precisely this) it cheapens the institution I am happily entered into.
If it is really such a matter of conscience that ministers have threatened to resign over it, then they should do so. What they should not do, what they should not be allowed to do is hold the Party hostage and force their decision of “conscience” on the rest of us. But that’s exactly what has happened. They have blackmailed the Party and not only do they get their way on this vote making us look spineless and ridiculous, but they get to maintain all their status and privilege as Shadow Ministers in the process.
For me, those who believe they are following their conscience in cheapening the institution of marriage with their bigotry are wrong. But so too are those whose desire for an easy life has allowed them to do so. But morality is a personal issue, and I accept that to some people, sticking their noses into other people’s right to equality is a matter for their morality. But morally wrong or not, they are certainly wrong tactically (possibly in the Westminster bubble a bigger misdemeanor sadly).
Clearly deciding that losing a few junior ministers would tarnish the line the Party are running on Tory splits on this issue has been a PR disaster. The story isn’t about Tory splits any more – it’s about the loss of spine from our leadership. A huge percentage of our Party – far more than the Tories – are going to vote in favour of these proposals, and we’ve still managed to make the story about us.
While there were whispers that the Lib Dems were also going to offer a free vote, they have not yet made up their minds. They would now be crazy not to. It’s an easy win for them and will help them possibly reestablish a dialogue with some of the former Lib Dem supporters who thought Labour was different now. We’ve handed the Lib Dems a moral victory.
How on Earth did it not occur to the Shadow Cabinet that there would be a backlash on this? How on Earth did they not see that the very organised, very loud and rightly proud Campaign for Equal Marriage would have something to say about this broken promise? How did they not see that party members like me would be equally tested and find that this is too important an issue not to be vocal on. That the vaunted Party unity they so cherished was exactly what was being tested beyond endurance by this capitulation?
Well done everyone, slow hand claps all round.
Tags: equal marriage
