Mordaunt’s landmark plea on gay marriage

First intervention by a Cabinet minister ahead of historic vote by bishops comes with a warning

PENNY MORDAUNT has urged the Church of England to allow gay marriage before a historic vote by bishops.

Her plea marks the first intervention by a Cabinet minister on the issue. Ms Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons and MP for Portsmouth North, has written to the Bishop of Portsmouth.

She called on him to “recognise the pain and trauma” that the failure to recognise same-sex marriage causes to “many LGBT+ people who are left feeling that they are treated as secondclass citizens within our society”.

It prompted a number of cross-party MPS to come forward to say that they have also written to their bishops urging them to recognise same-sex marriage, warning this is the “moment of truth for the Church of England”.

According to canon law, no Cofe minister can bless or marry gay couples.

Ms Mordaunt’s interjection marks the first time that a serving Cabinet minister has called for the issue to be reformed within the Church. She also warned that if bishops failed to approve same-sex marriage, the issue would only “fester and detract” from any positive contribution from the institution.

She made the comments in the lead-up to bishops presenting their long-awaited findings to the General Synod, the Church’s legislative body, next month on whether the ban on gay marriage could be overturned .

Traditionalists are hoping that bishops will veto any changes to the existing stance – that church weddings should be for only opposite-sex couples and that sex among gay couples amounts to a sin.

In contrast, more liberal members of the Church are calling for it to modernise and welcome gay members. In a letter to the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Dr Jonathan Frost, Ms Mordaunt said that she was writing “regarding discussions on how the Church will move forward on the issue of same-sex relationships. I hope they will back reform”.

The letter said: “I want all of my constituents and others to be able to have the right to have their relationships solemnised in their local parish.”

She added: “It is some time now since Parliament legislated for Civil Partnerships and then same-sex marriage. Since then, both the Episcopal Church in Scotland and the Church of Scotland have agreed to offer same-sex marriage and the Church in Wales plans to do so.”

Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter, said: “It’s not a sustainable situation for an established church to allow same-sex marriages in Scotland and Wales and on the continent and not in England. It’s a disgraceful position.”

Jayne Ozanne, an LGBT+ campaigner and General Synod member, described Ms Mordaunt’s letter as a “gamechanger – something that all Church of England bishops must read”.