In the UK members of parliament are generally expected to toe the party line. Each party gives all their MPs a daily list of votes in the house - each is underlined once, twice or three times (whipping). Breaking a three line whip gets you into trouble with the whips (MPs responsible for party discipline) and members of the government, no matter how lowly a bag carrier, are expected to resign if they cannot support a three line whip.
However, on moral issues such as divorce, abortion and homosexuality, MPs are given a free vote, this has been the practice since at least the 1950's. Apologies for being long winded if things are the same in the USA.
The three main political parties are so determined to get homosexual "marriage" made legal that they will be whipping their MPs when the house votes on these "marriages. No word yet as to whether this will be a three line whip, but many Conservative MPs, including several members of the government, are totally opposed to this change in the law.
To my mind this shows how powerful the homosexual lobby has become in this country. This would be passed in a free vote, most members of the Labour and Liberal parties support it. But getting it passed is no longer enough - the government feels that it has to be seen as actively pushing for homosexual equality.
However, on moral issues such as divorce, abortion and homosexuality, MPs are given a free vote, this has been the practice since at least the 1950's. Apologies for being long winded if things are the same in the USA.
The three main political parties are so determined to get homosexual "marriage" made legal that they will be whipping their MPs when the house votes on these "marriages. No word yet as to whether this will be a three line whip, but many Conservative MPs, including several members of the government, are totally opposed to this change in the law.
To my mind this shows how powerful the homosexual lobby has become in this country. This would be passed in a free vote, most members of the Labour and Liberal parties support it. But getting it passed is no longer enough - the government feels that it has to be seen as actively pushing for homosexual equality.