Conservative anger over same-sex marriage plans will not prevent the Government pushing ahead with legislation, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said.
In a staunch defence of the plans on the eve of a Commons vote which has split the ranks, she said it was in line with the party's "progressive" past on issues such as slavery. At least 100 Tory MPs are expected to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill when it faces its first Commons hurdle on Tuesday.
The proposals - personally championed by Prime Minister David Cameron - should pass easily as they are backed by the vast majority of Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs. All three major parties have allowed a free "conscience" vote on the issue.
Conservative divisions were further laid bare when more than 50 senior activists issued a letter supporting the reform and warning opponents risked "alienating" ordinary voters.
It came in retort to a letter delivered to Downing Street on Sunday by more than 20 serving and former constituency chairman urging the proposals be delayed until after 2015.
Mrs Miller told the Huffington Post website it was "very important" to respect individuals' beliefs and that there was "absolutely no pressure" on MPs to vote with the Government.
But she added: "What I will not be doing is stopping the legislation moving forward. It's important we have a fair approach to marriage. Simply being gay is not a good enough reason not to have that available."
She went on: "Conservative governments have done things for generations which are progressive, all the way back to the position the party had on the slave trade. I think it is a natural progression for marriage, something that has evolved over centuries anyway."
It came as Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh broke ranks and declared that he intended to vote against gay marriage, insisting there was a "good liberal case" against the move. In an open letter to constituents, he said his fundamental objection was that the legislation "achieves none of its objectives and weakens the link between marriage and the family".
Labour leader Ed Miliband said he would "proudly" vote in favour and would actively urge his MPs to join him in making "an important step forward in the fight for equality in Britain".
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