equality – Labour Humanists

We’ve been campaigning for the legal recognition of humanist marriage in England and Wales – something that is already available and increasingly popular in Scotland. Currently, humanist weddings in England and Wales have no legal force of their own, and couples are required to pay a visit to the registry office to make their marriages official. We proudly support the British Humanist Association’s (BHA) long-standing campaign for non-religious people to have the choice of a legal marriage ceremony which reflects their beliefs, just as many religious people do.

Over the past couple of years we have worked to increase awareness of the issue within Labour and to support Labour parliamentarians in their efforts to ensure legislation is passed. In fact, we have been delighted that it has been the Labour front bench in parliament which has spearheaded recent attempts to legalise humanist marriage. Many Labour MPs have also signed a motion supporting humanist marriage.

In July, we welcomed the Government’s agreement to set in motion moves which would see humanist marriages be made lawful in England and Wales, before the General Election.

It is hugely disappointing that the Tory-led Government now appears to have U-turned on that agreement, as Number 10 is reported to be blocking the legal recognition of humanist marriage.

Our asks of Labour

We believe there is everything still to fight for – that the Government could still be convinced to make time for this important legislation in this parliament. While Labour has shown good support so far, it has done so along with colleagues from across parties, with religious and non-religious people. Legalising humanist marriage in England and Wales is not a party political issue.

It’s really important for Labour now to make clear that it will give the Government the time to get the regulations through this side of the election, should it decide to do so.
We would also like Labour publicly to state its commitment to equal humanist marriage – and that it would legalise it should it get the chance after the General Election if the present Government really does go back on its agreement.

Notes

Read the BHA’s statement ‘Number 10 intervenes to block humanist marriages‘.

Read more about the broad support for humanist marriage.

When a Tory MP describes his own Government’s top lawyer’s opinion as ‘nonsense on stilts’, you know you are watching something new in the Commons.

For three hours during the Equal Marriage Bill debate, Labour led a cross-Party move to change the law to have legal marriage for humanist couples in England and Wales, as there has been in Scotland since 2005. The majority in the Commons on the day supported the amendment (as pointed out by Dr Julian Huppert MP, vice chair of the Humanist APG). It was deeply disappointing then, that due to the Tory-led Government’s last-minute legal objections, the amendment did not pass.

We are confident, however, that Labour Peers, supported by humanist colleagues across the Parties, will bring the issue back when the Bill reaches the Lords.

Shadow Equalities Minister Kate Green led a storming defence of the rights of non-religious people (gay and straight) to have the right to have a marriage ceremony which reflects their beliefs, and MPs from across the Parties and from humanist and religious backgrounds attended to give their strong support for the proposal.

We would like to thank all of those MPs who worked so hard, and we will continue to work with and support Labour peers to get this important change in the law passed.

The debate is definitely worth reading – you can read the Hansard of the debate or (better!) you canread our Twitter feed from May 21 and those tagged with #equalmarriage.

You can also read more from the British Humanist Association (BHA), to whom we are proudly affiliated.

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