A COUNCIL threatened with legal action unless it permits gay and lesbian partnership ceremonies on its properties has failed to reach a verdict on the issue.

A free vote at Bromley Council’s full meeting on Monday night ended in stalemate as councillors argued whether the civil ceremonies amounted to marriage.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has repeatedly threatened he may take legal action for discrimination if Bromley Council does not permit the exchanging of rings and vows between gay couples at registration once the law changes in December.

Twenty-one councillors voted in support of ceremonies and the same number voted against them, with four abstaining.

Several councillors were absent due to the Lib Dem party conference and other reasons.

Council leader, Cllr Stephen Carr, said he was not in favour of allowing the ceremonies and he stressed: "I support traditional old-fashioned values."

Cllr Michael Tickner went further, saying: "We hear a lot about gay rights but you should also take account of straight people’s rights - people who have normal sexual relationships."

Most religions warned their followers against advocating homosexuality, he added.

Cllr George Taylor said the debate was about the council offering a service to taxpayers, not religious conviction.

"The freedom of individuals to make their own personal choice about how they live should be paramount without the intervention of nanny state or nanny council," he said.

"It would be distasteful to be so impolite to homosexual taxpayers in the borough whose activities are completely legal."

Cllr Neil Reddin said: "Suppose a registration has just been completed. Then the couple suddenly produce rings to exchange. What do we expect our staff to do? Prise the rings from the participants’ hands? To chop their fingers off? It would be a farce."

The council’s executive is expected to decide on the issue, on Monday, October 10.

Based on the way its members voted at full council, there could be a two-thirds majority in favour of allowing ceremonies.

* For more on this story see next week’s Bromley Extra.