Former prime minister David Cameron has been honoured for introducing same-sex marriage in England and Wales as he is recognised as “ally of the year” at the PinkNews awards held in Westminster.

In a speech, to be shown at the awards ceremony in Westminster on Wednesday night, Cameron speaks of his pride at the achievement and the “small role” he played.



“I think it was five years ago this month that I said to a Conservative party conference that I wanted us to champion equal marriage, that I wanted marriage to be there for men to marry men and women to marry women, as well as marriage as we’ve known it. And I’m really proud that we carried it through,” he says.



“Because when you’re prime minister there are lots of things that you want to change. Some go right, some go wrong, some are instantly forgotten. But I know with this, with equal marriage, it is something that has already made a huge difference to people’s lives and will go on doing so in the future.



“So, for the small role I played in helping pushing it through and making it happen, I am very proud. It’s great to accept this award and I know it’s going to bring a lot of people a lot of pleasure for years to come. And it should.



“Marriage is a great institution and it should be there for everybody, and Britain has very much led the way.”

Previous winners of the PinkNews ally award have included former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, former Labour leader Ed Miliband, and former equalities minister Lynne Featherstone.



Cameron’s video message will be played at the ceremony attended by more than 200 guests on Wednesday night, at which the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, will make a live speech. A pre-recorded message from the prime minister, Theresa May, will also be played.



The award was presented to Cameron at his new central London offices by PinkNews chief executive Benjamin Cohen and his fiance, Dr Anthony James, along with Subodh Rathod and Niranjan Kamatkar, who were among couples who married on the first day same-sex marriage was legal.

