Earlier this year he quietly granted benefits to gay partners who work for the Senate.

But most companies have been reluctant to extend health benefits to gay partners.

Only a handful of colleges provide health insurance to gay partners.

The governor also opened the state's Sept. 11 charitable fund to gay partners.

Parliament passed a law that gives gay partners the same rights as married couples.

David Laws' evcuse for using £40,000 of public money to pay his gay partner must be up there.

Yet gay partners were strangers to each other in the law's eyes.

In his six years on the City Council he has never brought a gay partner to a political event.

One practical issue at stake is the granting of rights like health and insurance benefits to gay partners.