December 2012, Blackman told the BBC News Channel that Cameron's backing of religious same-sex marriages was wrong "on principle" and that marriage had to be "between one man and one woman". According to the Harrow Times, he was accused of hypocrisy by a former fellow Brent council colleague who claimed she had an 11-year affair with him whilst he was married. On 5 February 2013, Bob Blackman voted against the bill in the House of Commons second reading vote on marriage equality in Britain. In March 2019, Blackman was one of 21 MPs who voted against LGBT-inclusive sex and relationship education in English schools. In 2016, he was drawn second in the annual Parliamentary ballot for a Private Member's Bill and put together a Homelessness Reduction Bill in partnership with national homelessness charity, Crisis. It was the first Private Member's Bill to be supported by a select committee. After receiving Government support at second reading, it passed through all stages in Parliament unopposed in both Houses and received Royal Assent on 27 April 2017. Following an interim report on the connections between colonialism and properties now in the care of the National Trust, including links with historic slavery, Blackman was among the signatories of a letter to The Telegraph in November 2020 from the "Common Sense Group" of Conservative Parliamentarians. The letter accused the National Trust of being "coloured by cultural Marxist dogma, colloquially known as the 'woke agenda'". Personal life Blackman married Nicola Jennings in 1988. He employs his wife as a part-time office manager. Honours and awards : 2020: Padma Shri of India References External links Bob Blackman's website 1956 births Living people Alumni of the University of Liverpool British Telecom people Councillors in the London Borough of Brent Conservative Members of the London Assembly Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 2010–2015 UK MPs 2015–2017 UK MPs 2017–2019 School governors UK MPs 2019–present Recipients of the Padma Shri in public affairs