News from Celtic Press
A leading Welsh politician has spoken out in favour of introducing gay marriages in Wales following the lead of his fellow Scottish politicians in Scotland.
Plaid Cymru Equalities spokesperson, Linsay Whittle Assembly Member, said this week that he welcomed the moves to allow same sex marriage in Scotland and would like to see the same done in Wales. Mr Whittle called the Scottish development ‘progressive’ and “an important step in ensuring equal treatment for all.” The Scottish government has recently announced that they will bring forward a Bill on the issue following an extensive consultation where over 80 000 people responded, demonstrating their support for same sex marriages. The Scottish government has stated that this could mean that same sex marriage ceremonies could begin as early as 2015.
Mr Whittle went on to say on his blog that even though he believes that same sex marriages are a step in the right direction, he is disappointed that Wales cannot emulate the position in Scotland, because of a lack of legislative power in the Welsh Assembly. The same sex marriage development in Scotland may become the modern equivalent to getting married in Gretna Green, where thousands of young couples, who were under the age of parental consent in Cornwall, England and Wales, eloped to Scotland to get married, because of the different legal system in place.
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ISSUED BY THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE
31/07/12
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