Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken of his support for gay marriage at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester, today.
The comments capped the last day of the annual meeting and came as part of a bigger address on the state of the nation and modern politics.
Dissecting a number of key hot topics, including: war and the armed forces, the current economic climate – both domestically and in Europe – plus the summer's British riots and the state of modern education, he also made an impassioned reference to same-sex marriage.
"I once stood before a Conservative conference and said it shouldn’t matter whether commitment was between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and another man," he said.
"You applauded me for that. Five years on, we’re consulting on legalising gay marriage. And to anyone who has reservations, I say: Yes, it’s about equality, but it’s also about something else: commitment. Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other.
"So I don’t support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I’m a Conservative."
The comments - which drew applause and support from attendees – is merely the latest in a series of moves by the party to achieve improved equality. Earlier this year, Cameron held the second annual coalition reception of LGBT media at 10 Downing Street.
The Conservative Party have more openly-gay MPs than any other political party.
