UKIP surges as Cameron and Clegg renew their vows

A cartoon in today’s Telegraph pictures David Cameron and Nick Clegg renewing their vows, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage saying “not so fast” as he holds the latest polling which show his party overtaking the Lib Dems.

The cartoon plays on the unpopularity of the Cameron/Clegg coalition, their plan to redefine marriage, and the fact that UKIP (which opposes the redefinition of marriage as party policy) is mopping up with disaffected Tory voters. It could cost the Tories 51 seats at the next election.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was on the BBC Andrew Marr show on Sunday repeating the false line that churches won’t be affected by the redefinition of marriage. One wealthy gay couple has already hinted at a legal challenge if they can’t have a gay wedding in a church. European judges have made clear that once a nation state allows gay marriage, it cannot have different rules for gay weddings than for straight weddings.

Sitting next to the PM on Marr’s sofa was gay actor, Rupert Everett, who made it perfectly clear he couldn’t care less about gay marriage. Cameron gave one of those fake politician laughs. The fact is, Mr Everett is not alone. Only a minority of gay people say the issue is a priority and most gay people think Cameron is playing politics with it.

The PM told The Sunday Telegraph he wants his Redefinition of Marriage Bill through Parliament by July. His determination to rush such an important measure reveals a number of things, not least that he is prepared to use reckless haste in changing one of our oldest and most important institutions.

It also shows he knows full well that it’s unpopular with voters, which is why he doesn’t want it anywhere near the next general election. And it shows he completely underestimates the level of opposition he will face in Parliament.