The DUP’s Chief Whip has said that a cross-party attempt to introduce a Bill of same-sex marriage into the House of Lords and the House of Commons is a “symbolic gesture” with little hope of change.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said that there is “very little prospect” of the Bill getting through Parliament, and said the issue should only be passed through the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly, which is currently suspended.

“I think there is very little prospect of the bill getting through all of the stages in the parliamentary process, and it remains our view that this is a devolved matter and clearly should be dealt with by the Northern Ireland Assembly,” said Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP MP.

Conservative Peer Lord Hayward will introduce a draft same-sex marriage Bill to the House of Lords today, while Labour MP Conor McGinn will “Marriage (Same Sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Bill” in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

“We welcome this important intervention by Lord Hayward. Our preference has always been for the Northern Ireland Assembly to pass marriage equality legislation, in line with the overwhelming support which exists among the public here,” said Patrick Corrigan of the Love Equality campaign. “However, without functioning devolution for the last 15 months, we now look to Westminster to legislate.”

Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill has said that Westminster must act to secure equal marriage for Northern Ireland. “It doesn’t sit easy with us at all, but sometimes you have to put the issues of people before your own views,” said the politician in an interview with PinkNews.