Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle, the heterosexual couple who were refused permission to register for a civil partnership at Islington Town Hall, deserve the support of the people of Islington.

They have made a brave stand to highlight the double standards which Westminster legislation imposes on Islington’s registrars. Why should any couple who simply want the law to recognise their relationship be forced to adopt the heavily symbolic rituals of marriage?

The Green Party has been calling for both civil marriages and civil partnerships to be opened up, without discrimination, to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. I look forward to the day when Islington’s town hall is able to do just that. – Carina Dunkerley, Islington Green Party.