Despite several DUP members privately supporting same-sex marriage, Tom Smith, a councillor in North Down, made his support of gay relationships public during a Twitter exchange with News Letter columnist Alex Kane.

Mr Smith wrote: “Alex, like you I too had friends who, because of persecution and abuse they would face, did not come out as gay – glad that’s changing. For the record I have absolutely no problem with Belfast Pride or PSNI taking part – we must end HATRED!”.

The councillor went on to say: “Just to be clear THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING GAY/TRANSGENDER. We are all different thank goodness.”

1/.2 Alex like you I too had friends who, because of persecution and abuse they would face, did not come out as gay – glad thats changing.

— Tom Smith (@TomSmithDUP) August 8, 2017

1/.2 Alex like you I too had friends who, because of persecution and abuse they would face, did not come out as gay – glad thats changing.

— Tom Smith (@TomSmithDUP) August 8, 2017

Under the power-sharing agreement, the DUP has repeatedly used a veto to block attempts to legislate for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland, despite the majority of public opinion being in favour of its introduction.

DUP leader, Arlene Foster has described the movement for gay marriage in Northern Ireland as “a bit of a storm in a teacup”.

“This suggestion that every single person who’s a homosexual wants to change the definition of marriage is actually wrong,” she has said.

Questioned about the introduction of same-sex marriage on the day of Belfast Pride, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “It is only a matter of time.”

He said he knew Northern Ireland “well enough” and that he believes public opinion on the matter had “moved on a long time ago.”