Churches should be free to conduct gay marriages, says Clegg

Deputy prime minister accused of 'shifting the goal posts' over remarks made to mark WorldPride festival in London
Gay marriage
Gay marriage. Nick Clegg has been accused of 'playing politics with marriage' over his remarks to the London Evening Standard. Photograph: Jupiterimages/Comstock Images/Getty

Churches should be free to conduct gay marriages, Nick Clegg has said in remarks which prompted social conservatives to accuse the deputy prime minister of "shifting the goal posts".

In an interview to mark Saturday's WorldPride festival in London, the deputy prime minister said churches should not be prevented from conducting gay weddings if they wished.

Clegg told the London Evening Standard: "This is a personal view at the moment, but I think that in exactly the same way that we shouldn't force any church to conduct gay marriage, we shouldn't stop any church that wants to conduct gay marriage. I don't see why two individuals who love each other and want to show commitment to each other should not be able to do so in a way that is socially recognised as being marriage."

David Cameron is facing pressure from many Conservative MPs over the coalition's plans to legalise gay marriage. The government says religious institutions will not be compelled to preside over gay weddings.

Clegg said: "I have a very strong sensation that once the dust settles everyone will look back and think: 'What on earth was the controversy about? It just seems a perfectly natural thing to do.' I don't think it is anything to get hot under the collar about, or aggressive or polemical."

But Anglican bishops fear that church teaching that marriage is between "one man and one woman" would eventually be challenged.

Colin Hart, campaign director of the Coalition for Marriage, said: "This is yet another demonstration, if one was needed, as to why the proposals to rewrite the definition of marriage should be ditched. Mr Clegg is shifting the goal posts in a totally transparent attempt to garner support for his party ahead of the WorldPride festival in London. He is playing politics with marriage, despite poll after poll showing that the public are increasingly hostile to the government's plans."

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