A majority of British voters support
the government's plans to legalize gay marriage perhaps as early as
next year.
According to a poll conducted for the
UK's The
Guardian, 62 percent of respondents support legalizing gay
nuptials, while 31 percent remain opposed. Seven percent refused to
answer.
Support has risen 17 points, while
opposition has decreased 5 points, over the last 9 months.
A majority of Conservatives support
Prime Minister David Cameron's proposal by a 52-42% margin.
Opposition in the party has dropped 7 points since March. Majorities
were also found among Labour (67%) and Liberal Democrat (71%)
supporters.
Cameron has come under fire from
religious leaders and the Tory backbench for pushing for the marriage
reforms.
In a message delivered on Christmas
Day, Vincent Nichols, head of the Roman Catholic church in England
and Wales, called the process to legalize such unions “shambolic.”
“There was no announcement in any
party manifesto; there's been no green paper; there's been no
statement in the Queen's speech. And yet here we are on the verge of
primary legislation,” he told the BBC.