Nigel Farage will not support equal marriage unless Britain withdraws from ECHR
Nigel Farage has said he does not support equal marriage due to Britain’s current membership of the European Court of Human Rights.
The UKIP leader was asked about the subject this evening during a head-to-head LBC debate with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Britain’s future membership of the EU.
In an apparent UKIP breakdown in internal communication last week, PinkNews received and answers to a readers’ Q&A confirmed by an official spokesman to have been approved by Nigel Farage which stated that the party was reviewing all of its policies including its previously stated opposition to same-sex marriage.
During tonight’s debate, LBC presenter Nick Ferrari asked Mr Farage if he supported equal marriage, to which he responded: “Not all the while we are signed up to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, and where we have the risk that our established church, and possibly other faith communities could be ultimately under discrimination laws be forced to conduct services that they find anathema.
“If we get rid of the ECHR and it doesn’t have the dominant place over our society, we’ll look at it again.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg responded to the question by saying: “Of course I support it. I was the first party leader who came out to support it because I think when two individuals regardless of their gender love each other and want to show commitment towards each other, we should recognise that in law.
“I just find it extraordinary that UKIP’s anti-Europeanism is so great that it won’t actually provide loving couples in Britain with a right to marry, as they will be able to under British law from this weekend.
“For me, it is just unalloyed great news that love and commitment is now going to be recognised across the country, regardless of your gender. I think it’s a great step forward.”
