A Green councillor who voted against supporting same-sex marriage will |have to defend her actions in front of an internal inquiry.

Every elected member on Brighton and Hove City Council except Christina Summers voted to lobby the Government to lift the ban.

This was despite the Greens being the first mainstream party to advocate making the marriages legal.

Coun Summers, who represents Hollingdean and Stanmer and is a devout Christian, said it was a “conscience decision”.

Phelim MacCafferty, the group’s deputy convenor, said: “Following the recent vote |by Coun Summers on equal marriage, Green councillors met on Monday evening and have requested that the party’s official inquiry process be initiated to ensure a fair, speedy and transparent outcome.

“It is for the inquiry panel to determine if any further action may be needed and it wouldn’t be appropriate to say any more at this stage.”