A Conservative member of parliament has said he will not be voting for marriage equality because gay people have told him they do not want to get married.

Tim Loughton, the Tory MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, said while he was an ‘enthusiastic supporter of civil partnerships’ he did not support gay marriage.

The 50-year-old former parliamentary under-secretary for children and families said he believed marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Speaking to The Argus newspaper, Loughton said: ‘I don’t support this. It’s not about equality because civil partnerships already have all the rights given to married couples.

‘I just think it's a bit of a non-issue when you have got married couples with kids really feeling the pinch. This is an issue of conscience. I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman.

Loughton said before the issue came up, he never had a single letter in more than 15 years about gay marriage.

‘Subsequently I have had numbers of emails and letters urging me to oppose the motion. The number of people asking me to support it is in single figures,’ he said.

‘I have also heard from a number of gay people telling me: “We don't need this. We don't want to go and get married.”’

‘So this is a very complex issue and not as clear cut as some people like to portray it,’ Loughton added.

 In July 2011, Loughton made the headlines when the Speaker for the House of Commons John Bercow told him, following parliamentary commotion, that he should leave ‘if he couldn’t behave like an adult’.

Earlier this month, it was revealed the majority of MPs have confirmed they will vote for marriage equality when the legislation comes up later this year.