SNP councillor resigns over decision to legalise equal marriage

A Scottish National Party councillor has resigned due to his party’s decision to legalise equal marriage.

Bev Gauld, an SNP councillor in Clydesdale, is a former Church of Scotland minister.

He’s said to have had deep discontent with the Scottish Government on the issue.

Mr Gauld has been a councillor for 17 years.

The Scottish Parliament passed the country’s Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Scotland) Bill last Tuesday in a final Stage Three vote.

SNP Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said afterwards that she had “never felt more proud to be an MSP than I felt at 6.30pm tonight”.

The bill now awaits Royal Assent by the Queen.

The first same-sex marriages are expected to take place later this year after the Scottish Government pledged to speed up the implementation of the bill.

Northern Ireland is now the only remaining UK nation where equal marriage has not been legalised.

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