Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker has voted against a bill to legalise same-sex marriage, much to the anger of many of his upper Calder Valley consitituents.
Mr Whittaker was one of 175 MPs who opposed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, which was backed by a majority of 225 MPs in Parliament on Tuesday.
If it becomes law, the bill will enable same-sex couples, who are currently able to engage in civil partnerships, to get married in both civil and religious ceremonies - the latter only with the consent of religious institutions.
Mr Whittaker has previously said legalising same-sex marriage would “replace the tried and tested family unit, with all its problems, with one in which children are brought up by only one biological parent and only one gender”.
He said: “The current law indicates very strongly that marriage is about procreation of children, which would also indicate that to change that would take it away from being child-centred to adult-centred, which I would be against.
“The mere fact that the current law states that it is all about procreation would indicate that it is not an issue of equality.”
Luddenden Foot ward councillor Simon Young, who said there was “massive support in the Calder Valley for equal marriage”, was delighted that the majority of MPs gave an “I do” to the bill.
But he expressed disappointment with Mr Whittaker’s stance.
“I would like to thank the hundreds of people who signed the petition urging our local MP to support this important issue of equality,” Coun Young said. “Sadly our pleas were ignored.
“I am proud that the majority of our MPs in the House of Commons took this important step forward for equality.
“As for Craig Whittaker, he will ultimately be judged by the people of Calder Valley at the ballot box.”
Many people took to Twitter to express their outrage at Mr Whittaker - see page 14.