Telegraph, Express hit out at Osborne’s article supporting redefinition of marriage

Newspapers have hit out against George Osborne for his “startling” article in The Times claiming that redefining marriage will help his party win the next election.

The Daily Express called him “a part-time Chancellor” and said long-time Conservatives are “fed up of seeing their party’s leadership trampling on their beliefs”.

The Daily Telegraph said Mr Osborne was playing a “dangerous game” and picking a “needless fight with social conservatives”.

Today’s Daily Express said: “Mr Osborne appears to believe that being ‘socially liberal’ is the key to electoral success.

“In fact, most voters believe fixing the economy and dealing with bread and butter issues about living standards are by far the most important tasks facing the Government.

“Many long-time Conservatives are also fed up of seeing their party’s leadership trampling on their beliefs and depicting anyone who doesn’t embrace the full liberal agenda as a bigot.”

And the Daily Telegraph said Mr Osborne misunderstands the recent US election results in America upon which his claims are based.

Today’s editorial says: “such a literal read-across to British politics is dangerously misleading. In the United States, same-sex couples have far fewer legal rights than married couples.

“In this country, the Civil Partnership Act passed by the Blair government in 2004 removed any such distinctions. Mr Osborne is perfectly aware of this fact.

“He is also aware that there is little popular pressure in favour of gay marriage – on the contrary, there is widespread opposition – but that, too, is deemed irrelevant.

“The only point that matters here is political posturing. Mr Osborne wants to demonstrate that the Conservatives really are a ‘modern’ party by picking a symbolic and needless fight with social conservatives.

“He is playing a dangerous game. Six hundred thousand people have signed a petition opposing same-sex marriage.”