In March 1997, visited opposition leader to discuss for , the age of consent, gay adoption and gay marriage:

“I reeled off 's demands, and he nodded, wrote them down and put a tick by them all. Then he said we will do all that”

Ian McKellen

On this day in 2004 the was passed. It enabled ‘same-sex couples to obtain legal recognition of their relationship' for first time.
Previously, same-sex couples had ‘no more rights than a flatmate' on financial, pension, social security and next of kin rights.