THE British Prime Minister, Mr Major, denied yesterday a House of Commons revolt by four cabinet ministers over the government's divorce reforms was a "humiliating" defeat which challenged his authority.
During angry exchanges at Prime Minister's Question Time, the Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, said the revolt proved that every cabinet minister had their own agenda and that Mr Major's government was the "most feeble in living memory".
"Doesn't the fact that four cabinet ministers voted against you on your own Lord Chancellor's bill show the humiliating state to which your authority has been reduced?" he asked.
However, to Tory cheers, Mr Major pointed out that it had been a free vote and ministers were allowed to vote "exactly as their conscience dictated".
Following the revolt by 165 Tory MPs over his plans to introduce a no fault divorce after a one year wait, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mackay. announced he would accept the Commons vote which will mean couples now have to wait 18 months before being able to divorce.
But a divorce will be granted after a year if both parties consent and no children are involved, or if there is any evidence of domestic violence.
Lord Mac Kay said he did not feel "embarrassed" by the defeat and stressed it was important that MPs had a free vote on the issue. It doesn't surprise me that there should be differences of view and emphasis on a matter off this sort. Underneath there is an absolute unanimity of preservation of the family and family life and a desire to do everything we can to make the law conducive to that end," he added.
The four cabinet ministers - the Home Secretary, Mr Michael Howard, the Health Secretary, Mr Stephen Dorrell, the Social Security Secretary, Mr Peter Lilley and the Welsh Secretary, Mr William Hague - all argued the proposals would make divorce too easy and contradicted the Conservative Party's commitment to protecting families and family life.
Mr Major also rejected the suggestion by two former cabinet ministers that the entire divorce bill should now be abandoned.
But the Labour Party warned the government that it could only again rely upon its support if there were substantial changes on reconciliation and child support.