House of Commons votes to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland by HUGE majority

MPs backed an amendment tabled by Labour MP Conor McGinn by 383 votes to 73 which requires the Government to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland if Stormont is not restored by October 21. They also passed Labour MP Stella Creasy’s proposal to extend access to abortion in Northern Ireland by 332 votes to 99.

The Stormont power-sharing administration between the DUP and Sinn Fein has not sat for two-and-a-half years.

Northern Ireland’s two main parties have been unable to reach an agreement, with the same-sex marriage ban a major dispute.

Director of The Rainbow Project and member of the Love Equality campaign John O’Doherty said: “All love is equal and we are proud to celebrate this achievement with our community, friends, colleagues and allies from across these islands.

“Our future got a little brighter today and we hope that LGBT people across Northern Ireland will wake up tomorrow feeling more hopeful for the future we all want to see.”

After MPs voted in favour of her abortion proposal, Ms Creasey tweeted: “Thank you to everyone who today stood up for equality in Northern

Ireland – whether for same sex marriage or abortion, today we have said everyone in the UK deserves to be treated as an equal.

“There’s a road to go yet but today a big step forward.”

And Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter: “Would rather the Northern Ireland Assembly was doing this but in its absence, marriage equality and human rights can’t wait. This is the right decision in the circumstances.”

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where equal marriage is not legal.

Same-sex marriage was legalised in Scotland on March 12 2014, while England and Wales followed shortly afterwards by legalising it on March 29 that year.