«Since then, Liam Fox has resigned
as Defence Secretary accepting that he mistakenly allowed the distinction between personal interest and government activities to become blurred.
After Northern Ireland
secretary Owen Paterson made clear he would not support gay marriage - adding his dissent to indications of opposition from
defence secretary Philip Hammond and children's minister Tim Loughton - Downing Street
accepted the free vote would apply to members of the government
as well
as backbench MPs.