A lesbian, a gay vicar and an MP have spoken out against opponents of gay marriage.

Priti Patel is one of 118 Tory MPs to raise fears over David Cameron’s controversial proposals to legalise same sex marriage, claiming the government’s attention should be focused on tackling the economy and the rising cost of living.

However Braintree MP, Brooks Newmark, has challenged Ms Patel’s claims, remarking the issue affects, “large swathes of the population.”

The Reverend Michael Hewitt is a gay vicar in Ridgewell, he believes both the church and state should recognise same-sex marriage.

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