Chris Huhne in favour of Gay Marriage

As I suggested in my last post:

Huhne: 'in favour' of gay marriages

By Channel 4 News

Updated on 21 April 2010

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy via the power ofTwitter that he favoured gay marriages, and thought Nick Clegg was a "brilliant" and "regular guy".

In the third of our "Twinterviews" following two previous sessions with Douglas Alexander andGrant Shapps, it was the turn of Chris Huhne to be grilled by Krishnan Guru-Murthy, all in 140 characters or less.

The interview began with Krishnan(@krishgm) asking Huhne(@chrishuhne), if he would have done any better in the leaders' debates had he been leader of the Liberal Democrats and not Nick Clegg?

Replying swiftly and with aplomb Chris Huhne said he doubted it as Nick Clegg had been "brilliant".

The questions / answer session slowed slightly after that but whether that was down to more Twitter users engaging in the debate by using the #twinterview hash tag or technical Twitter gremlins at either end is not clear.

Still, the next few questions had a clear theme - how the Liberal Democrats perceived their future relationship with the Tory or Labour party?

Chris Huhne offered three answers - first that people should "Vote Lib Dem, Get Lib Dem" and that other two parties had a tendency to say appalling things in public but then "chummy up in the tearoom afterwards."

As to whether Gordon Brown should stay on as prime minister if he doesn't win the election? Chris Huhne turned to the people and said we'll just have to respect the people's judgement.

One of the most re-tweeted of Huhne's answers was to the question on whether the Liberal Democrats would allow gay couples to marry and end the discrimination of only allowing civil partnerships?

Shying away from replying on the behalf of the entire party, the potential home secretary said he was "personally in favour of civil marriages for everyone, and faith weddings depend on the faith".

That raised a few Yays! in the retweets.

The interview ended with a response to a question that appeared to have gone hitherto unanswered:

"Why does Nick Clegg present himself as an ordinary bloke from Sheffield, when he went to Westminster and Cambridge?"

The reply was short and to the point:

"Nick is an MP for Sheffield for heaven’s sake! And he is a regular guy whatever his background"

Read the full Twinterview below:

krishgm:
@chrishuhne Hi Chris are you there and ready? #twinterview

ChrisHuhne: Yes I am. #twinterview

krishgm:
@ChrisHuhne Great - first question : do you think you’d have done as well as Nick Clegg in the debate had you been leader? #twinterview

ChrisHuhne:
@krishgm I doubt it. I think Nick did brilliantly. #twinterview

krishgm:
@ChrisHuhne He can’t possibly win this week and live up to expectations can he? #twinterview

ChrisHuhne:
I think he will do even better, because Nick is really good on international matters.

krishgm:
@ChrisHuhne Lots of people want to know :if you want to keep Labour out shouldn’t you vote Tory? #twinterview

ChrisHuhne:
In 40 per cent of the country, Lib Dems are in first or second place so that’s just the old Tory-Labour trick. Vote Lib Dem get Lib Dems!

ChrisHuhne:
@krishgm It would be an appalling indictment of our election system, and set up a revolution for change!#twinterview

ChrisHuhne:
@krishgm Tories and Labour always say appalling things, and then chummy up in the tearoom afterwards. Old politics.#twinterview

krishgm:
@ChrisHuhne so just to be clear - you rule out GB staying PM if he doesn’t get the most votes #twinterview

ChrisHuhne: @krishgm We’ll know who has the mandate after the election. We have to respect the people’s judgement.#twinterview

krishgm: @chrishuhne one from Toby Young now : will you ban faith schools selecting by faith? manifesto is vague on this #twinterview

ChrisHuhne: @krishgm new ones should not ban, old ones have to show they are inclusive by having some from other faiths and none.#twinterview

krishgm: @ChrisHuhne they already do that mostly - what percentage would have to be from other faiths or none? #twinterview

ChrisHuhne:
@krishgm bit daft to say that given system is a fruit machine. This is an election, and the result will count.

krishgm:
@ChrisHuhne why does Nick Clegg present himself as an ordinary bloke from sheffield, when he went to westminster and cambridge #twinterview

krishgm: @ChrisHuhne Would you allow gay couples to get married and end the discrimination of only allowing civil partnerships? #twinterview

ChrisHuhne:
@krishgm Personally, I am in favour of civil marriages for everyone, and faith weddings depend on the faith.#twinterview

krishgm: @ChrisHuhne many thanks - if u could just answer the q about clegg and sheffield then we are all done #twinterview

ChrisHuhne: @krishgm Nick is an MP for Sheffield for heaven’s sake! And he is a regular guy whatever his background.#twinterview

krishgm: @ChrisHuhne And on that note - Chris Huhne, many thanks! our time is up. speak again soon no doubt #twinterview

krishgm: thanks for all your questions - got thru as many as i could. will try to keep the conversations going over time #twinterview

So we know exactly where we stand.  Here in Eastleigh the Conservatives are totally opposed to same sex marriage and will do everything possible to make sure that they don't happen.