Sir Paul Coleridge’s intervention in today’s Times (£) on gay marriage has ensured the debate won’t go quiet after various angry Christmas Day sermons. The High Court Judge tells the paper that introducing weddings for same-sex couples is the ‘wrong policy’, adding:
‘So much energy and time has been put into this debate for 0.1 per cent of the population, when we have a crisis of family breakdown.
‘It’s gratifying that marriage in any context is centre stage… but it [gay marriage] is a minority issue. We need a much more focused position by the Government on the importance of marriage.’
Coleridge does have a point that while the government can’t introduce a law to make relationships stronger, it can help make it easier to access counselling and advice before a marriage reaches crisis point. But those in favour of the legislation introducing same-sex marriage will argue that permitting gay marriage doesn’t stop the government from also trying to strengthen all marriages.
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