Second Church Estates Commissioner Stuart Bell MP (Labour, Middlesborough) voted with the opposition. Mr Bell stated that: "Marriage, as the law and as the Church of England understands it, is a commitment between one man and one woman. There is no provision in the Church's understanding for anything other than such a union in marriage." Whilst acknowledging the need to "value and appreciate" the pattern of living in relationships other than marriage, Mr Bell said that: "there is nothing to prevent such couples from making wills in one another's favour. "Homosexual relationships are not new but - notwithstanding references to other juris-dictions -every society has restricted marriage to heterosexual relationships that are intended to be monogamous and for life." Were such a change in law proposed, Mr Bell said there should be "not only a public debate but a referendum." Those MPs agreeing with Mr Bell included prominent Christian Conservatives Ann Widdecombe and Gary Streeter.