Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

BEFORE Cardinal Keith O’Brien stepped down, a long way down, he told us that gay marriage would shame the nation.

It was, he said, “a grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right, and I know I speak for many people of Scotland when I say that”. Well, it isn’t and he wasn’t.

He was certainly speaking for a number of people but they are a small minority of people. A minority of people who are on the wrong side of the argument and will be proven to be on the wrong side of history.

Among them is one of Holyrood’s finest, Elaine Smith, a deputy presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament and Labour MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston.

She felt compelled to go public last week to lament that she is getting a terribly hard time after revealing she is going to vote against same-sex marriage.

But, Elaine explained, she is voting against it because her constituents are against it. Really? Because not many people we know give two hoots. If love is a good thing. And marriage is a good thing. Then why on earth does it matter if the happy couple are Frank and Ernest?

Of course, Elaine Smith is entitled to hold her opinion and there are others, albeit not many, who agree with her.

No doubt the very idea is anathema to many deeply religious people – and a few homophobes, as well – who believe the poor, afflicted gay people should be pitied, of course, but never encouraged.

But most Scots are less than vexed about same-sex marriage. They’re too busy trying to deal with their own stuff to mind too much if two people in love want to get hitched.

Of course, the opponents will say this is merely more evidence of how we have sunk into a morass of moral turpitude. We should be so lucky.

It is, in fact, more evidence that Scotland and the rest of Britain is, year by year, becoming a nicer and fairer place.

Elaine Smith and those who agree with her are, of course, perfectly entitled to oppose gay marriage but they are deluded if they believe that they are speaking for a silent majority.

Because the silent majority are, if anything, surprised it has taken so long.

Lorraine Kelly sums up the feeling of most Scots when she asks today how two people who love each other wanting to make a commitment to each other can ever be a bad thing.

“We need more love and more equality in the world,” she added.

“I’m baffled that anyone would want to stand in the way of anyone’s happiness.”

The SNP government should be applauded for not standing in the way.

The rest of our MSPs should know that most Scots will share Lorraine’s bafflement if they decide to.