From Councillor Miles Windsor and Ben Harris-Quinney: The same-sex marriage bill is a symptom of a wider malaise at the top of the Party

Cllr Miles Windsor, Chairman of Conservative Grassroots & Cllr Ben Harris-Quinney, Director of Conservative Grassroots.  Follow Miles, Ben and  Conservative Grassroots on Twitter.

The SSM Bill is upon us again and, like reluctant, battle scarred warriors, members on both sides of the debate are trudging wearily back into the fray. Needless to say, the SSM bill is a political minefield. Whilst we can acknowledge the admirable motivation to see minority groups fully included in a united Britain, Conservative Grassroots is of the opinion that the Bill is politically, intellectually and philosophically bankrupt.

It would be self-indulgent to run through the multifarious arguments against this highly un-conservative piece of social engineering, and the long list of concerns have been expressed inside the Commons Chamber and outside via the media.  As Conservative Grassroots, our great concern is that the Conservative Party membership is engaged and involved in the direction of the organisation to which we give our time, money and support. The Party is not only reliant on the many hard-working individuals who stuff envelopes, knock on doors and, indeed, cast votes - those people are the Party. However, in the presentation and execution of this Bill, our leadership has demonstrated no interest in the views of its members or the core Conservative vote. We will not be alone in our experience of angry activists rescinding their membership or the dismay of voters expressed during conversations on the doorstep.

People who have supported the party for decades have pledged never to vote Tory again as a result of this policy and its management. Whilst you can find polling to suit whichever position you favour, there have been a number that one might think would even worry those operating from Number 10. For examples see here and here.

These polls have clearly been ignored, but the figures that cannot be ignored are those that show UKIP trailing the Conservative Party by just ten points, following cataclysmic results in Eastleigh and the local elections. The response to this from David Cameron and Grant Shapps was to say that the message had been heard and understood - and changes would be made.