LONDON, Feb 4: British Prime Minister David Cameron faces a battle to placate traditionalists in his Conservative Party bitterly opposed to gay marriage ahead of a parliamentary vote on the contentious issue on Tuesday.

Cameron has given strong backing to the plans to allow same-sex couples to marry, but they are fast becoming a highly divisive issue for his party.

The prime minister has promised lawmakers a free vote on the proposed legislation in the House of Commons on Tuesday, meaning party managers will not try to influence their choice.

But there is concern in Conservative ranks that more than half of the party's MPs could vote against the bill. Many grassroots Tories are warning that a green light for gay marriage could alienate rank-and-file Conservatives.

On Sunday, more than 20 current and former constituency chairmen delivered a letter to Cameron’s Downing Street office urging the prime minister to delay any parliamentary decision on gay marriage until after the next election.

The letter warned that if the plans pass into law, there would be “significant damage to the Conservative Party in the run-up to the 2015 election”.—AFP