Scottish Catholic Observer

The Conservative MP for North Somerset, who was born in East Kilbride in Scotland and is a practicing Catholic, has written to his constituents to tell them the planned legislation appeared to have been written ‘on the hoof’ and would please only ‘a very small, if vocal, minority.’

Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to press ahead with his plans to redefine marriage by 2014 in the face of substantial public opposition.

Dr Fox said it had already ‘led to the alienation of many loyal and, in many cases lifelong, supporters of the Conservative Party’ and demanded a rethink ‘before things get out of hand.’

The Tory MP stressed he was not ‘anti-gay’ and, as a doctor, believed same-sex relationships were ‘a variant of the spectrum of human sexual behaviour and should be treated with tolerance and respect.’

He said discrimination had been addressed by the introduction of civil partnerships and questioned the strength of demand for further reform.

He added that a legal bar on the Church of England performing same-sex wedding ceremonies—part of a series of safeguards designed to reassure religious critics—was ‘absurd and anomalous’ when it did not also extend to the Catholic Church which is more vehement in its opposition.

The former defence secretary, who quit the Government in 2011 after he allowed businessman friend Adam Werritty access to his meetings and official trips, said European courts could ‘drive a coach and horses’ through the church safeguards, and warned it risked ‘weakening and splintering’ Christians who already felt under threat.

“To fail to understand this is to risk an affront to a large stabilising and normally acquiescent section of this country which will sow completely unnecessary seeds of dissent,” he said.

“I do not doubt the sincerity of the proponents of this measure and think talk of attempts to purposefully antagonise traditional Conservatives is far-fetched. However, I believe these proposals are divisive, ill thought through and constitutionally wrong. That is why I will vote against them in the House of Commons.”

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