by Dan Bloom

Two of Medway's three Conservative MPs have backed gay marriage in a vote which split the Parliamentary party down the middle.

Chatham MP Tracey Crouch and Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless both voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) bill last night.

The bill, which passed by a massive 225 majority, was hailed as an "important step forward" by the Prime Minister David Cameron.

But it won the support of fewer than half of Conservative MPs after a debate which lasted more than six hours.

Among the dissenters was Gillingham and Rainham MP Rehman Chishti, who has consistently opposed gay marriage, describing it as a "redefinition".

He was the only Medway MP who spoke in the debate, telling members: "On religious organisations, the minister will know that 5% of the UK population is Muslim.

"What proportion of the Muslim community responded to the consultation? How many were for it and how many were against it?

"My understanding is that not a single mosque responded by supporting the redefinition of marriage."

Eight other Kent MPs opposed the bill on grounds of religious freedom, including North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale, who was forced to deny he had compared gay marriage to incest.

The government says the bill, which must still pass through a committee and the House of Lords before it can become law, will not force any religious groups to perform ceremonies against their will.

While Ms Crouch and Mr Chishti were clear on their position, Mr Reckless refused to be drawn on his opinions before the vote.

He previously said he had received more correspondence on the issue than almost any other.

Labour councillors in Medway wrote an open letter to the Towns' MPs on Monday, urging them to reject what they claimed was a "widespread misunderstanding and lack of awareness amongst elected Conservative representatives."

Group leader Cllr Vince Maple said: "I welcome the fact that Tracey Crouch and Mark Reckless supported [the] vote. The issue of equality is one which goes beyond party politics."