TWO local MSPs joined almost 100 other parliamentary colleagues to vote in favour of same sex marriage in an historic day at the Scottish Parliament.

Both Labour’s Duncan McNeil and the SNP’s Stuart McMillan backed a Scottish Government Bill as it cleared its first hurdle at Holyrood following a debate yesterday.

The legislation was approved ‘in principle’ after MSPs voted on it for the first time.

They were handed a free vote on the issue rather than being told to go along party lines.

A total of 98 of them were in favour while 15 were against and five MSPs abstained.

List MSP Mr McMillan said he had made a considered decision on the issue after taking account of the views of constituents.

He told the Telegraph: “I took considerable time to decide which way to vote as I felt it was important to fully consider the correspondence I have received from constituents.

“After reading the Bill, the Official Report of evidence sessions and the many emails and letters from constituents, as well as meeting representatives from both sides of the debate, I decided to vote for the Bill.

“I recognise some people still have concerns about the issue of safeguards, so I will continue to monitor these issues as the Bill progresses through the parliamentary process.” Greenock & Inverclyde MSP Mr McNeil today explained why he voted for the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill.

He said: “I was content to go for it yesterday in principle but I also have a responsibility to constituents who have their own point of view.

“The real debate was about confirming the protections necessary to create the Bill, so as to strike a balance.

“I look forward to the legislation process moving forward.” Both the Church of Scotland and Catholic Church have expressed their opposition to the Bill but one Greenock churchman, Rev David Walton, told the Telegraph earlier this week of his backing for it.

Rev David Coleman, of the Greenock West United Reformed Church, said the idea that somebody else’s marriage could undermine his own one was ‘utterly absurd’.

Same-sex couples in Scotland can currently enter into a civil partnership but if the government Bill is eventually passed then gay marriage ceremonies could be taking place from the beginning of 2015.

The Scottish Government says that its Bill will help deliver a more tolerant society and ensure equal rights on marriage.