PM 'proud' of gay marriage Bill

David Cameron has insisted he was proud of legislation to introduce gay marriage, despite a Commons rebellion which saw 130 of his own MPs oppose the change on Tuesday night.

But in an apparent olive branch to traditionalist Tories, the Prime Minister promised there would be no more legislation on social issues like homosexual equality for the remainder of this Parliament, and that the coalition Government will focus on the economy and welfare reform for the next two years.

The Prime Minister saw his will done as the controversial Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill completed its passage through the Commons on Tuesday night by 366 votes to 161 - a majority of 205 - but more Tory MPs opposed it than supported it.

In a further blow after weeks of infighting, a YouGov poll for The Sun put the Conservatives on just 27% - equalling their lowest rating since 2000 - with Labour's lead stretching to 11 points.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Cameron sought to brush off the significance of the Tory rebellion: "The fact is this is a free vote issue that parliaments have to determine. Our House of Commons has just determined that.

"I think we should think about it like this - that there will be young boys in schools today who are gay, who are worried about being bullied, who are worried about what society thinks of them, who can see that the highest parliament in the land has said that their love is worth the same as anybody else's love and that we believe in equality. I think they will stand that bit taller today and I'm proud of the fact that that has happened."

But he made clear that he would not be making further initiatives on issues of equality over the coming period.

"If you are saying to me, 'Is this the first of many other issues like that?', no it isn't," said Mr Cameron. "The Government now is going to be absolutely focused on the big picture, which is fixing our economy and reforming our welfare, making sure there are good schools for our children to go to ... for the next two years is going to be the absolute focus that I have, the Conservative Party has and the Government has."

But he is facing anger from some of his own backbench MPs about the direction in which he is taking the party. Mid Beds MP Nadine Dorries - only recently restored to the whip amid defection rumours - posted on Twitter: "So, we dropped to 27 points in tonight's polls. That gay marriage thing is really working for us."

Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson wrote: "Cameron's disdain for Conservative Party membership & for proper Parliamentary scrutiny of same sex marriage bill will come back to haunt him."