August 4, 2016

Isle of Man adds to pressure on British government

The major boost to our campaign granted by the decision in the Isle of Man to give different sex couples the right to a civil partnership continues to be felt.

This week the Daily Telegraph published an excellent feature on the Isle of Man’s decision, assessing whether British couples will be able to get a civil partnership on the island and have it recognised in Britain. The fact that they probably will not only adds to the pressure on the British government who will be seen as denying legally obtained rights of different sex couples.

The article states:

“New legislation which has just come into force on the Island [Isle of Man] – a crown dependency separate from but closely tied to the UK – will create new pressure in mainland Britain for straight couples to be allowed to form legally recognised partnerships.

“But it also creates a new legal grey area in other parts of Britain, with uncertainty over how opposite sex couples in civil partnerships under Manx law will be recognised, if at all.”

Our campaign will be continuing to promote the precedence set by the Isle of Man as yet further evidence that Britain needs to catch up and extend civil partnerships to all couples.