Thanks so much to everyone who has sent messages and texts to commiserate about humanist marriage following the Sunday Times story this morning. Obviously it has all been an enormous disappointment and a bitter pill for all of us who have worked so hard on this issue for over a decade – but especially in the last two intense years. I admit I have been a bit tearful!

We won the debate again and again in public, in the House of Commons, in the House of Lords, and in meeting after meeting with ministers and civil servants. Every single argument against humanist marriages was tried and tested in the light of day and open scrutiny, crumbled, and was demolished. If we do lose, it will be because of the sort of non-transparent inscrutable behind-the-scenes activity which, to be honest, make me despair of liberal democracy.

We won’t be giving up on this issue. We will continue to press for humanist marriages before the election, however unlikely that now seems given the Prime Minister’s intervention. If we don’t win, we will carry on after the election with whatever government is in power. Legal recognition for humanist marriages is still Liberal Democrat party policy and the Labour party is also in support. So it’s not over!