In a letter to a constituent in Bournemouth East, Tobias Elwood spells out how he intends to plot and vote against his community.
Dear Sir,
Could I begin by thanking you for contacting me about the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. As you may appreciate, there has been a phenomenal amount of interest in this matter. However, as is often the case with proposals involving a free vote, the goal posts move as a result of public debate and the Government’s proposals inevitably change. This Bill is no exception.
I am naturally a progressive Conservative, balancing the need to protect British values whilst recognising that society must advance to match a world where the pace of change is now so fast that legislation can sometimes struggle to keep up.
In the case of a Parliamentary free vote it is therefore a case of balancing my own views with the opinions expressed by constituents, key stakeholders and community leaders directly impacted by any change in legislation. [ i.e. your local constituency financial backers. Do you then not have your own views?]
Like many Conservatives, I believe that marriage is one of the most important institutions we have. The principles of long-term commitment and responsibility which underpin it bind society together and make it stronger. [ So what’s the problem? Do what the majority of the constituents want and not or your few financial backers.]
I should admit that I was a little surprised to hear the news that same sex marriage proposals were to be moved forward. It was not, after all in our Manifesto, or in the Coalition Agreement. I was also not aware of a clarion call from any corner of our society for this change, but I did remain open minded enough to see how the details of the proposal would develop. After all, marriage as an institution has had a long history of change and has become available to an increasingly broad range of people. Indeed the changing definition of marriage has allowed the historically unequal status of men and women to be challenged. [Does anyone know what his point is here or what he is trying to say?]
I have concluded that I cannot support the Government on this proposal for three reasons:
Firstly, now that the Bill has been published there are a number of technical issues which mean any new legislation, involving recently added opt ins (such as the Church of England being exempt) actually defeats its original purpose. There are also questions over the legality of how the subject might be taught within schools. [What subject is he referring to? Homophobia!]
Secondly, having spoken to a number of people in the gay community to ask if there is a call for same sex marriage, views were mixed and mostly ambivalent. [Perhaps Mr. Elwood would benefit greatly if he took a look at YouGov Polls instead of making up his own…]
And finally, in the eight years that I have had the honour to serve as MP for Bournemouth East, there has never been an issue where I have received correspondence in the hundreds speaking almost unanimously against a proposal. [So why then are you opposing it?]
As I have already stated, the evolution of marriage over time has allowed the institution to adapt as society progresses. The scrutiny under which today’s Parliament now finds itself allows more of the nation to participate in debates than ever before. In my view it is clear that there is no call from society for these changes to be made today. [You obviously do not have to live with this unjust discrimination in your life!]
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to me about this important issue. [Obviously not important enough for him!]
Kind regards,
Tobias Ellwood MP
Please note that Tobias Ellwood MP DID NOT vote either for or against the Bill. (The Editors)
