St Helens MP Dave Watts supports gay marriage

11:42am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News

Dave Watts was one of 217 Labour MPs to vote in favour of the bill, which will give gay couples equal rights. Dave Watts was one of 217 Labour MPs to vote in favour of the bill, which will give gay couples equal rights.

ST HELENS North MP Dave Watts joined colleagues in an historic vote to back same sex marriages.

Watts was one of 217 Labour MPs to vote in favour of the bill, which will give gay couples equal rights.

MPs voted for the Same Sex Marriage Bill by 400 to 175. Shaun Woodward, MP for St Helens South, did not vote.

A spokesman said Mr Woodward is a firm supporter of gay marriage but was unable to attend the second reading of the bill because of “commitments made some months ago”.

The MP’s spokesman added: "His position on equality issues has been unequivocally supportive.

“He led on the arguments for an Equal Age of Consent, Repealing Section 28 and supporting Civil Partnerships.

“On this issue he is wholly in favour of equality for all couples. He has written to constituents to this effect since the issue was first raised.”

The bill will now go to the House of Lords and if passed will allow gay couples to get married in civil and religious ceremonies.

Comments(29)

pitbullboxing says...
1:41pm Wed 6 Feb 13

So do I but I don't need to be in the paper. Shame his party didn't do it in thier 13 year dictatorship. How is Seans butler these days?

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keepitreel says...
7:22pm Wed 6 Feb 13

i nearly missed this band wagon but good old DAVE jumped on it,could he tell the readers of this paper WHY he voted for something that was never in any parties mandate,got steam rolled through and over 51% of the public did not want,tell the truth DAVE like all your party you were told to vote yes by the whips.

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jumper says...
7:39pm Wed 6 Feb 13

I wish he would support the idea of improving the facilities in the park opposite where he lives. When did we get to have a say on the subject that they voted on, transparency seems to have got lost once again.

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smith&weston says...
7:09am Thu 7 Feb 13

Band wagon approaching....1, 2, 3 and jump... Davey boys in action again.

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Arkay1 says...
10:50am Thu 7 Feb 13

Do you call yourself a Christian Mr. Watts?

If you do then you should be ashamed of yourself. Because you along with all the other perverts in parliament have just voted against the teachings of the bible.

Was not Sodom and Gomorrha destroyed because of this very thing?

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Arkay1 says...
10:51am Thu 7 Feb 13

By the way - they are not gay, they are homosexual.

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sherlock1 says...
12:23pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Arkay1 perverts? how many Homosexual clergy are there in the c of e? do you think they are all perverts too?

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chunkymunky says...
2:48pm Thu 7 Feb 13

ha ha ha you know over on the warrington guardian site weve had a great debate about equal marriage like adults (well almost), sadly over here its just the usual idiots and bigots who pretend to live their lives according to some old bloke in the sky (a non evidenced based entity if you will!!)

Arkay.....go away and talk to your talking snake you riduculous person!!

like it or not the gays are getting hitched......wedding cake anyone?!?!

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chunkymunky says...
2:49pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Arkay1 wrote:
Do you call yourself a Christian Mr. Watts? If you do then you should be ashamed of yourself. Because you along with all the other perverts in parliament have just voted against the teachings of the bible. Was not Sodom and Gomorrha destroyed because of this very thing?
i assume by this you dont shave your face?!?!? wear anything of mixed fibers?!?!

typical pick n mix nut job picking out the bits they think they can use to back up their socil ignorence to portray their false sense of being better than the rest of the world!! go back to your dage age where it was legal to rape your wife and sell your daughter into slavery!!

do much wife beating do you arkay?!?!? why not??? ITS IN THE BIBLE!!

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the dr who says...
9:27pm Thu 7 Feb 13

sherlock1 wrote:
Arkay1 perverts? how many Homosexual clergy are there in the c of e? do you think they are all perverts too?
thats an easy YES

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the dr who says...
9:33pm Thu 7 Feb 13

it may get forced through but no church will perform the action, the church community is quite a small ageing bunch in any church has one of these ceremonies they mas aswell close the doors on the day as they wont ever go back,

anyway the whole marriage ceremony for most people is **** they never ever go to church yet want to get married in religious ceremonies . and then never ever go back until they are in a box.

i am sure someone out there can explain that to us?

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jumper says...
7:52am Fri 8 Feb 13

who is right !

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the dr who says...
1:57pm Fri 8 Feb 13

THE PRICE IS RIGHT,

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Bill Bradbury says...
1:24pm Sat 9 Feb 13

I sense with the comments above they would re-introduce the "Witch-smeller pursuivant" and these perverts, as some call them, would be burnt at the stake. It looks like society hasn't progresses much.
I haven't an issue with lesbians (I am a Lesbian-I love women!) or gays or whatever true name they should be called (gay was a nice word that has been hi-jacked) so long as it's not compulsory.

Having read what th right wing of the Tory party have called them in the past and present,it is a throwback to times when such was illegal and assocaited with men hanging around toilets and I am not sure whether "buggery" is still not a crime unless it has been consented to.

Chunkey has a point as I have studied theology and the growth of the church and Christianity how much of it is myth and stolen from the Old Testament as Jesus was a Jew and used Jewish stories to make a point. In those days illness was caused by God's wrath and also the earth wa flat with a God looking down from above taking notes!

If they want a church wedding it is not for me to deny and in answer to Priests being celebete and in a partneship I have known this and an excellent Priest they were who did not flaunt their sexuality infront of us as many who "Mince" about pretending to be gay as it is "fashionable".
Does anyone with an issue on this say to their surgeon as they are about to go under the knife "by the way are you gay?" It is as pointless to the issue.
I judge people as I find even the Tories on this site with whom we have plenty of difference. How Dave voted is up to his conscience and as religion is a factor in this especially the view of the Catholic Church, the vote went on one's belief and faith not on a party whip. People are free to marry where they wish irrespective of faith and belief nuch of which is questionable.

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the dr who says...
9:42pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Once someone says i am a lesbian or gay, i dont think your opinion was going to be against the legistlation is it.

i say above how many of you people who fight for the right to get married in church, actually have been more than a couple of times in your lives. and yet want to be blessed by the church.

if you want to get married by a registrar then get on with it the chuch will never let it happen.

our polititions are so out of touch with the public,

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jumper says...
10:23pm Sat 9 Feb 13

The MPs are there to represent their constituents,if anything else surely there should have been a referendum religious beliefs or whatever.

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norm says...
12:21pm Sun 10 Feb 13

... you know what comes with most marriages? Mother-in-laws! You have been warned my dear gay friends.

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Kevfob says...
7:11pm Sun 10 Feb 13

I took Mr Chunkymunkys advice and had a quick peep at the Warrington online comment around this subject. Have a great civil marriage in 2015 Mr CM but please not in the local church I worship in.

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chunkymunky says...
9:34am Mon 11 Feb 13

Kevfob wrote:
I took Mr Chunkymunkys advice and had a quick peep at the Warrington online comment around this subject. Have a great civil marriage in 2015 Mr CM but please not in the local church I worship in.
Thanks!!! But just to clarify no one is asking for a religious marriage, it wouldnt be in keeping with my beliefs (as a humanist).

this is the real problem, the church keep bringing up this issue that isnt even an issue, they will have protection and rightly so.

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Sankey says...
10:36am Mon 11 Feb 13

If a church or minister refuses under the law won't the gays protest death threats and general intimidation as they did with those poor guest house owners, In practice the protections are worthless. I have no strong opinions on gay marriage but gay politics is pretty nasty from what I have seen.

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chunkymunky says...
11:54am Mon 11 Feb 13

Sankey wrote:
If a church or minister refuses under the law won't the gays protest death threats and general intimidation as they did with those poor guest house owners, In practice the protections are worthless. I have no strong opinions on gay marriage but gay politics is pretty nasty from what I have seen.
well it hasnt ahppened in spain where the same was said?!?!

This is nothing like the B&B issue, if you run a buisness you cannot withdraw services from anyone due to their gender, sexuality, marrital circumstances etc thats buisness law and has nothing to do with the marriage issue! People keep holding up these B&B owners like they was hard done too....i wonder if the same people would be so vocal if they refused a couple of another race??

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chunkymunky says...
11:56am Mon 11 Feb 13

ohh and ANY community eventually gets 'nasty' when they are ignored or refused equal right!!

same happened with the race riots, women rights etc!!

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Sankey says...
1:22pm Mon 11 Feb 13

Already justifying violence.

God help any clergy who refuse a gay marriage

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the dr who says...
2:08pm Mon 11 Feb 13

who is the head of the church of england,

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chunkymunky says...
2:40pm Mon 11 Feb 13

Sankey wrote:
Already justifying violence. God help any clergy who refuse a gay marriage
hang on a second, how am i justifying violence?? i at no point said i either agree which what others have done or justify violence of any kind?

If your not able to have a rational debate then i suggest you go home now, instead of using petty attempts to discredit someone when they pick holes in your argument!!

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Sankey says...
5:25pm Mon 11 Feb 13

You said any community gets nasty when refused their right. Their right of course as defined by said community.

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smith&weston says...
6:53pm Mon 11 Feb 13

God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

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chunkymunky says...
8:13pm Mon 11 Feb 13

smith&weston wrote:
God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.
Ha ha ha of all the stupid things you have posted over the year this has to be your best!

I take from this you also believe in a talking snake too??

It's Christmas Eve.....not Christmas steve....essentially it's the same argument!!

Of you do believe there was Adam and Eve at the start, can you let us know where the rest of us came from?

Ha ha ha hilarious!!!

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norm says...
3:02am Fri 15 Feb 13

Like to bet you are one of those who think we all evolved from monkeys ... mind you, suppose that explains a lot! And as for the snake, considering you don't believe, you keep going on about it.

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