12 April 2010

The Conservatives will consider the case for same-sex marriage rights if elected, the shadow chancellor and Conservative general election campaign manager George Osborne told gay campaigners yesterday.

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell met the shadow chancellor ahead a protest at the Conservative campaign headquarters, where campaigners were calling for shadow home secretary Chris Grayling to be sacked for his recent comment that people running bed and breakfasts in their homes should "have the right" to turn away gay couples.

At the meeting Mr Osborne told Mr Tatchell that "David Cameron and I are very happy to consider the case for gay marriage."

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Tatchell said: "It was positive that they met us but disappointing that they had nothing to tell us.

"George Osborne was full of good intentions but very weak on very specific gay rights policies.

"The best he could do on gay marriage was say he would consider it."

Although the Civil Partnership Act, passed in 2004, gives many of the rights and privileges of marriage to same-sex couples, the law stops short of full marriage. A change to the law would allow civil partnership couples to legally say they were married.

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