'Yet again, Labour are playing politics with our rights.'

Conservative MPs voted against a Clause of the Housing Bill in committee on 12 February because 'the clause is too narrow'. Outlining why Labour were wrong to accuse the MPs of homophobia, Deputy Chairman of Gay Conservatives Michael Vearncombe said, 'Any cursory examination of Hansard, rather than a reliance on Labour's dishonest and disingenuous press release, would show this'. Cllr Vearncombe issued a series of quotes of Conservative MPs from the debate:

'The problem with the clause is that it excludes people in partnerships that are not akin to marriage. Indeed, the Bill talks about partnerships in precisely those terms. That not only raises the issue of siblings, as he said, but highlights the real problem with succession in respect of adult children.'
(John Hayes MP, Hansard, 12 February 2004, col 613).

'The clause is imperfect, and the amendment is not wide enough to deal with all the issues. It goes some way to addressing them by focusing on siblings but, as has been pointed out, the problem goes wider than that.'
(John Hayes MP, Hansard, 12 February 2004, col 613).

'The clause is too narrow'
(Robert Syms MP, Hansard, 12 February 2004, col 613).

'Conservative members of the Committee feel that the clause does not go anything like far enough'
(Mark Field MP, Hansard, 12 February 2004, col 614).

'It does not even deal reasonably with same-sex couples.'
(John Hayes MP, Hansard, 12 February 2004, col 617).