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Labour LGBT condemn watered down civil partnerships

Issued : Thursday 26 June, 2008

Labour LGBT has announced their opposition to the heads of bill announced by the Government for their Civil Partnership Bill. As expected, the bill does not include the right to apply to adopt for same-sex couples. However, the Government have gone even further in institutionalising inequality, by failing to provide equal rights in relation to taxation or social welfare for same-sex couples.

Speaking after the publication of the heads of bill, Labour LGBT Co-Chairperson Neil Ward said: "It seems incredible that the Government are seeking to introduce a partnership model which makes no attempt to introduce equality in areas such as income tax, inheritance tax, capital gains tax or social welfare receipts. To intentionally create a model that will continue to ensure inequality in these basic areas is bewildering and disappointing. We also condemn the failure to deliver the right to apply to adopt for same-sex couples, which will continue to deepen the inequalities experienced by children currently living in households with same-sex parents."

"We have long expected the Government to deliver a watered down form of partnership for same-sex couples. However, we are staggered by the inequalities which will be preserved by the introduction of this bill." Minister Gormley recently defended the delay in publication of this bill, stating that "it was better to delay publication and try to ensure the best outcome". However, the bill which the Government are now publishing represents an enormous weakening of the position proposed by the Labour Party when introducing the Civil Unions Bill, and cannot in any way be seen as a significant form of partnership for same-sex couples.