The Prime Minister’s wife Samantha Cameron is the reason for his obsession with gay marriage, according to an unnamed cabinet minister.
The Daily Telegraph quoted the minister as saying: “Samantha is the driving force behind the policy”.
Samantha Cameron, the daughter of a baronet, is a creative consultant at a Mayfair luxury goods firm.
Liberal
She is known to have socially liberal views, and ministers have previously said her strong influence on the Prime Minister “will have a more liberalising impact on Cameron than Nick Clegg”.
Meanwhile, David Cameron’s own mother was reported as saying the Prime Minister “just won’t be told” that same-sex marriage is unpopular and is alienating voters.
She made the comments at a lunch, in response to questions about why Mr Cameron is pressing ahead with the plans.
Opposition
Two senior Tory MPs spoke out last week in opposition to gay marriage.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond questioned the protections for religious groups, while former children’s minister Tim Loughton MP said the number of people asking him to support same-sex marriage is in “single figures”.
And according to campaign group Coalition for Marriage, more than 130 Conservative MPs are expected to vote against the proposals.