Lib Dems call for UK wide marriage equality

The Liberal Democrats have today backed proposals to demand better for all LGBT+ people across the UK and deliver equal marriage.   The proposal, passed today at Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Bournemouth, include calls to introduce equal marriage in Northern Ireland, extending existing legislation in England and Wales to remove the spousal veto and to enable the Church of England and Church in Wales and their celebrants to conduct same-sex marriages, and extend recognition of humanist marriages to all of the UK.   Speaking after the debate, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who backed the amendment in Parliament to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland said:   “Despite the amendment that was passed in Parliament in July, same-sex marriage has not yet been delivered in Northern Ireland.   “With the Conservatives shutting down Parliament, and their resistance in the recent past to extending same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland, it is more important than ever that we keep demanding better for LGBT+ people in Northern Ireland and fighting to deliver same-sex marriage.    “Couples across Northern Ireland want to get married, at home and surrounded by family and friends. The Liberal Democrats will tackle the unfairness that exists and deliver on the change that people in Northern Ireland demand.   “The spousal veto allows the spouse of someone who is trans to block them from legally changing their gender, meaning they have to go through the years-long process of getting a divorce before they are able to do so. By removing this veto, the Liberal Democrats will ensure that you are the only person with a say over who you are.”