A Bill to provide for marriage equality for same-sex couples in Northern Ireland will be introduced in the House of Lords tomorrow (Tuesday 27 March).

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Bill will be introduced by Conservative peer Lord Hayward on Tuesday afternoon. The following day, Labour MP Conor McGinn will introduce his identical Bill in the House of Commons.

Campaigners have described the parallel Bills as a “powerful demonstration of cross-party, cross-parliamentary support” for the push to bring marriage equality to Northern Ireland, the last part of the UK or Ireland where same-sex marriage is still unlawful.

John Henry, brother of Ulster and Ireland rugby star Chris Henry, recently told of how not being able to tell his brother personally that he was gay was “one of the biggest regrets of my life”, after he had moved away from what he perceived to be an intolerant Northern Ireland when he was 18.

The campaigners will also hand in a 30,000-strong petition to 10 Downing Street on Wednesday at 2.30pm, calling for the Government’s support in passing marriage equality legislation for Northern Ireland to bring the region into line with the rest of the UK.

The equality campaign has shifted its focus to Westminster following the collapse of political talks at Stormont designed to restore devolution in Northern Ireland. The Love Equality campaign for equal civil marriage in Northern Ireland is led by the Rainbow Project, Amnesty International, Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Cara-Friend, NUS-USI and HereNI. Read more via Amnesty International