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Gay news: 'It's amazing how much things have changed in such a short time'
Chris Bryant MP
Chris Bryant has first civil partnership in Palace of Westminster
Europe minister Chris Bryant has celebrated the first civil partnership ceremony to be held in the Palace of Westminster.
The Rhondda MP and his partner, company secretary Jared Cranney, held the service in the members' dining room on Saturday.
At present, MPs, peers and their families are entitled to marry in parliament's own chapel, but like all religious venues it cannot be used for civil partnership ceremonies.
But last year Gordon Brown initiated moves to allow civil partnerships to be conducted in the palace and Speaker John Bercow recently obtained a licence from Westminster city council for that purpose.
This means that members of the public will also be entitled to be married or register civil partnerships within the parliamentary estate, with slots allocated via a ballot.
In a statement after the ceremony, Bryant and Cranney said: "We never thought this day would come - and never thought we'd have to worry about cakes and flowers and rings.
"It's amazing how much things have changed in such a short time.
"Only a few years ago there was a different gay age of consent, you could sack people or refuse to serve them just because of their sexuality and gays were banned from the military, from adopting or getting married.
"Parliament is special because it has made it possible. We are delighted that everyone in the UK can now share in a privilege that used to be available just to straight MPs."
