Support the right for religious groups to hold civil partnerships

By Sunder Katwala / @NextLeft

The House of Lords is to consider an amendment to the Equality Bill on March 2nd next week, which would make it legal for civil partnerships to be registered on the premises of those religious associations who wish to do so.

Tuesday’s Times carried a letter in support of the reform, which saw current and former senior Anglican Bishops joining other voices who represent faith traditions which want to be able to register and celebrate civil partnerships. These included liberal Judaism, Quakers and Unitarians who believe the measure is required to uphold their own religious freedom and individual rights.

The Times also reported that:

“the government has yet to decide whether to back the amendment. It wants to avoid another confrontation with church leaders.”

However, the Bishop of Leicester, who convenes the 26 bishops in the House of Lords, is publicly supporting the amendment. The case that opponents of the amendment entirely contradict themselves on, the principle of freedom of belief, has been made powerfully by Iain McLean in an open letter to the Bishop of Winchester and by Stuart White.

I have sent this letter to Harriet Harman, as Minister for Equality, to urge that the government support the amendment.

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Harriet Harman, Minister for Equality

Dear Harriet

I am writing to urge that the government back Waheed Alli’s excellent reasoned amendment to the Equality Bill, which I understand is to be tabled in the House of Lords on March 2nd. This would make it legal for civil partnerships to be registered on the premises of religious associations who wish to do so, without creating any obligation on the part of those religious groups who do not wish to do that.

The introduction of civil partnerships has been one of the great achievements of this Labour government, bringing enormous personal happiness to many people and a broader pride for many across our country at the successful civilizing advance which this popular social change represents.

This relatively modest further change would once again mean a great deal in the lives of many people undertaking a civil partnership. I believe it would further strengthen the landmark Equality Bill which you have done a great deal to champion. In doing so, it would both protect and extend the principle of freedom of conscience in a way which ought to command a broad consensus.

You will have seen that an impressively broad coalition of voices – from a wide range of different faith and secular perspectives – have voiced their support for the measure, including senior current and former Bishops in the Church of England as well as from a range of other faith perspectives. It is certainly one which campaigners for equality across the Labour Party also support. The Times newspaper has also made a powerful argument in favour of the reform.

That breadth of support reflects the sensible way in which this has been proposed, demonstrating respect for differences over the principle of civil partnerships among faith groups. It also reflects the strength of the underlying principle to which the amendment appeals.

Those advocating that the principle of religious freedom means that no church or faith group should be coerced into having to register civil partnerships must surely extend that religious freedom to other faith groups, who should not be refused the opportunity to do so in accordance with their own conscience and belief. Otherwise, their own argument becomes an incoherent one.

Nobody has yet explained how the principle of freedom of belief and conscience could possibly be used to argue against the proposed amendment, since that is the core principle which it seeks to uphold.

Given how much you personally, and the government generally, have done to advance the cause of greater equality and fairness in Britain, I do hope that this reform is one which the government will support.

Best wishes,

Sunder Katwala

General Secretary, Fabian Society

(Writing in a personal capacity)

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Anyone who wants to back the campaign is encouraged to e-mail Harriet Harman via enquiries@geo.gsi.gov.uk or to message her or Ben Bradshaw via Twitter. You can also sign up to the campaign here.

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