A leading British Archbishop has distributed one million anti-gay marriage postcards for churchgoers to mail to parliament.

Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, asked people against marriage equality to tell their local members of parliament to vote against the plans in England and Wales.

It comes as part of a last ditch effort to stop the coming legislation, which could be given a free vote in parliament as early as 5 February.

Smith said: 'Marriage has an identity distinct from any other relationship, no matter how much love or commitment may be involved.

‘Marriage is and always has been the union of one man and one woman, for love and mutual support, open to procreation.’

The 69-year-old added the ‘fundamental problem’ with the bill was it will ‘radically alter the meaning of marriage for everyone and therefore undermine the common good’.

‘There is no electoral mandate for this Bill and last year’s consultation process was shambolic,’ he said. ‘We welcome the promise of a free vote for MPs, and hope the bill will be defeated.

It comes as anti-gay group Coalition for Marriage pledged to see their leaflet drop rise to three million in constituencies that could decide the vote.

Speaking to Gay Star News, Coalition for Equal Marriage’s Conor Marron said although they’re free to do it, it seems like a waste of time and money.

‘We’ve got a majority of support with the public, we think a majority of MPs are going to vote yes, and hopefully it will go our way,’ he said.

Marron urged people to write to their MPs and tell them to support marriage equality.

‘Thank the MPs for already supporting it, or say you disagree,’ he said. ‘We’ve been saying that for a long time, and obviously now is the time when the opposition is cranking up the pressure.’

He added: ‘Perhaps people are thinking more about their job, than equality.’