Lord Norton on SSM Act passage

One of the most notable features of the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act last year was the large majority it achieved in the House of Lords.  It received a Second Reading by 390 votes to 148, with every grouping in the House – Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and cross-benchers – producing a majority in support of the measure.  The scale of support, especially on the Conservative side, was greater than that in the House of Commons.

Why the large majority?  Such an outcome would have been unthinkable twenty years ago.  As Michael McManus points out in his book Tory Pride and Prejudice, there was little support in the Lords for lowering the age of consent or getting rid of Section 28, especially on the Conservative benches.  Those of us on the Conservative side arguing in support of change were in a tiny minority. (1)

Note:

(1) http://nortonview.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/why-did-the-house-of-lords-vote-for-same-sex-marriage/

AFGHANISTAN: 13 YEARS ON

Over a decade since the US invaded Afghanistan, what is the result?

With Afghan elections ongoing this week I find myself wondering, what has a 13 year occupation brought about? During the 19th century Afghanistan was at the centre of Russian and British rivalry in Asia, part of the so called ‘Great Game‘. Then during the Cold War of the 20th century, a Soviet occupation turned it once again into a key battleground for global dominance. What about in the 21st?(1)

A worthy article by Reuben McKeown 

(1) http://reubenmckeown.wordpress.com/