Treasury Minister Angela Eagle entered into a civil partnership over the weekend with Maria Exall, her partner of 18 years.

Eagle wore a white tailored jacket and black trousers and Exal was in a black pant suit as they entered the Registry Office at Southwark.

About 50 family and friends were on hand for the ceremony. Among the guests was Harriet Harman, the government leader in the House of Commons.

Eagle, as a cabinet minister, is the highest ranking MP to enter a civil partnership, which has all of the rights of marriage except the name.  But the first member of the Commons to have a same-sex partnership was Tory MP Alan Duncan, who exchanged wows last July with partner James Dunseath.

Eagle and Exall met at a Labor Party event in London. Exall is an engineer with British Telephone.

Eagle publicly came out in 1997 in an interview with a national newspaper and has been an MP since 1992.

The civil partnership law was passed by the Labor government three years ago.

It came during a speech at a trade union conference by another member of the House – Harriet Harman, the deputy government leader in the Commons.

Harman was taking questions and answers following a speech to union organizers in Brighton. Asked about pensions for same-sex couples under the UK’s civil partnership law, Harman revealed that Eagle and longtime partner Maria Exall, an engineer with British Telephone, will exchange vows later this month.

Journalists in the hall noted a surprised look on the faces of both Exall and Eagle. The impending ceremony was to have been a secret, known only to a select number of friends.

“I wasn’t expecting her to say this and I suspect Harriet wasn’t expecting to say it either. But it is not a state secret,” Eagle told reporters.

The couple later issued a statement saying: “Maria and I are looking forward to making our relationship official and celebrating this with our friends and family later this month.”

Eagle and Exall met 18 years ago at a Labor Party event in London.

Eagle publicly came out in 1997 in an interview with a national newspaper and has been an MP since 1992.

The civil partnership law was passed by the Labor government three years ago.

Abse served in the House of Commons for nearly 30 years, championing civil rights for minorities and helping to liberalize divorce laws.

As a Labor Member of Parliament from Wales, Abse introduced a bill in 1967 to abolish the sodomy law. He pressed the issue until the repeal of the law was passed.

The sodomy law was placed on the books in 1885 during the Victorian era. Among the more notable victims of the law was writer Oscar Wilde.

Wilde was accused of sodomy by his former lover the Marquess of Queensberry, known as Bosie. In 1895, Wilde sued for libel and lost. He was subsequently charged with the criminal offense of sodomy, convicted and sentenced to two years in prison with hard labor. Wilde died in 1900.

Abse was born in Cardiff, Wales, the grandson of Jewish immigrants. He went on to become a lawyer with a reputation as a maverick.

During his long parliamentary career, Abse was noted for his flamboyant attire and his ability as a sharp-tongued debater in the Commons.

Abse was fondly remembered Wednesday.

“He was a very distinguished parliamentarian and social reformer who has left an indelible mark on his country,” Wales Secretary Paul Murphy told Britain’s Press Association. “The lives of millions of people over the years have been improved because of his social reforms.”

Abse is survived by his second wife Ania.