Religious lobbying and policy influence: Christian interest group impacts around the legalisation of same-sex marriage in England and Wales

Abstract

The influence of religious groups in democratic policymaking has often been a source of political controversy. In the United Kingdom, the legalisation of same-sex marriage in England and Wales may in some ways be thought to exemplify the weakening social position and policy power of the churches. Drawing on a mixture of methods – including analysis of newspaper coverage, legislative debates and policy documents, plus interviews – this paper assesses the extent to which Christian interest groups achieved different forms of policy-related influence, and its dynamics. It finds that, despite important failures, these groups nonetheless achieved various types of success, including over the policy debate, small policy shifts, and ‘counteractive’ influence, and these reflect both the weaknesses and persisting strengths of Christianity within British society. The findings are likely to have wider implications for understanding the policy strengths of religious actors in similar contexts of socio-religious change elsewhere.