Election 2005 

Conservatives Break “No Election  Homophobia” Deal, Claims OutRage!

LONDON, April 28  –  The Conservative party has reneged on a deal to keep the general election campaign free from “homophobia”, gay human rights group OutRage! claimed today.

Ken Andrew, Tory election candidate in Carshalton & Wallington in Surrey is accused by OutRage! of “colluding with homophobic prejudice”. His election newsletter claims the sitting LibDem MP, Tom Brake, “wasted local tax payers money at a rate of nearly £2000 per week”.

The first items on the list of Mr Brake’s alleged “wasted” money are: “Voted to allow gay couples to adopt children” and “voted to legalise gay sex at 16”.

OutRage! has called on Tory leader Michael Howard to “honour his pre-election pledge to keep homophobia out of the campaign”.

“We are urging the Tory leader to withdraw the party’s endorsement from Mr Andrew,” said Brett Lock of OutRage!.

“Ken Andrew’s campaign has appealed to homophobic prejudice in a bid to win votes. This violates Michael Howard’s pledge. The honourable thing to do is to withdraw the party’s official endorsement from him.

“It should be obvious to anyone that MPs don’t waste money simply by voting one way or another on an issue.  The Tories have cynically used this newsletter to signal to homophobic constituents that the LibDems support gay rights,” added Mr Lock.

This is the second instance of the Conservative Party breaking its anti-homophobia pledge.

The Guardian (27 April 2005) reported that Sayeeda Warsi, the Tory candidate for Dewsbury in West Yorkshire stated in her election literature that Labour’s lowering of the age of consent allowed vulnerable children to be “propositioned for homosexual relations” and claimed that the scrapping of Section 28 “now allowed schools to promote homosexuality and other alternative lifestyles to your children”.

Mrs Warsi also argued that homosexuality “undermines family life”.

“Mrs Warsi is unfit to hold office. Michael Howard must withdraw the party’s support for her candidacy. Anything less signals that the Tories cannot keep their promises and have not broken with their past homophobia,” said Mr Lock

Earlier this month, Michael Howard joined the other main party leaders in signing an election pledge, sponsored by gay lobby group Stonewall, “to keep homophobia out of election campaigns”. This was seen as very significant since the Tories have the worst mainstream party record on gay rights. The party has gone to great lengths to sell itself as as “inclusive” and “gay-friendly” in recent years.

Michael Howard signed the Stonewall pledge on behalf of his party. The pledge states: “We're committed to a general election campaign free from prejudice. This party won't tolerate homophobia as part of our campaign.”

Stonewall chief executive, Ben Summerskill, said in a press statement: “We’re delighted to have secured support for this initiative from across the political spectrum.”  He added that it was “refreshing” to know that party leaders won’t tolerate the kind of homophobic slurs that have marred recent general election campaigns.

“In spite of Michael Howard’s signature on the pledge, homophobic dirty tricks clearly have not been eliminated from Conservative Party electioneering,” said Mr Lock.

“The Conservative Party leadership must act swiftly and withdraw support from Ken Andrew and Sayeeda Warsi. Nothing less will demonstrate that they’re true to their word.

“Scaremongering about gays, immigrants and asylum seekers is obviously second-nature to many Tory candidates. If the party will not weed out these candidates, the majority of the electorate will remain unconvinced that they have become inclusive. They are still the nasty party,” concluded Mr Lock.

■  April 29 update:  Today's Times carries an article by Matthew Parris, an openly gay journalist, who visited two constituencies where the Conservatives have openly gay candidates. Read his article here.

LINKS

OutRage! website
Image of offending Tory newsletter
Stonewall Pledge
Adviser to Tory Leader Attacks Gay Sex Laws, by Vikram Dodd.  An adviser to Michael Howard on making the Tory party more inclusive has accused Labour of passing laws allowing children to be "propositioned" for gay sex. (Guardian report from April 27)
 

28 April  2005