Andrea Leadsom praises equal marriage in Australia, a year after insisting ‘marriage is a man and a woman’

British Conservative politician Andrea Leadsom has praised the passage of equal marriage in Australia, in an apparent change of stance on the issue.

While running for the Conservative Party leadership last year, Ms Leadsom had hit out at the introduction of equal marriage in the UK.

She had said last year that gay couples should have remained barred but allowed to enter civil partnerships, as they were  in the UK between 2004 and 2014.

But speaking in the Commons  this week, Ms Leadsom heaped praise on Australia’s Parliament for passing equal marriage.

Speaking from the despatch box in her role as Leader of the House of Commons, Ms Leadsom said that the decision was a celebration of “all love”.

She said: “Today is a day of celebration.

“I am sure colleagues across the House will join me in congratulating our fellow parliamentarians down under, who have today legalised gay marriage.

“Australia becomes the 25th country to recognise that marriage is a celebration of all love. It has been wonderful to see such happy and celebratory scenes in its Parliament.”

PinkNews enquired as to what changed Ms Leadsom’s mind on the issue.