THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • MP Angela Eagle Resigns

    Another high-profile out MP has resigned from Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.

    MP Angela Eagle joins 27 other MPs who have resigned from Jeremy Corbyn’s opposition party. She follows Chris Bryant as two of the most prominent gay MPs to resign from the shadow cabinet.

    She told the BBC that she made her decision to quit after not hearing from Mr. Corbyn for 24 hours. She criticised his lack of communication with his shadow cabinet.

    A number of Labour’s MPs are upset at the apparent lack of leadership by Corbyn during the run up to the EU Referendum which saw the UK vote, by a slim majority to leave the European Union.

    Ms. Eagle has stepped down in her role as the Shadow Business Secretary and First Secretary of State and hasn’t denied her own ambition to be the new leader of Labour, if Corbyn resigns or is forced out.

    Taking to twitters Ms. Eagle said,

    With deep regret, and after nine months of trying to make it work, I have today resigned from the Shadow Cabinet

     

  • MP Chris Bryant quits shadow cabinet

    In the wake of the EU referendum and as confidence in Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of the opposition weakens, one of Britain’s most visible gay politicians quits the Shadow Cabinet.

    CREDIT: CC flickr.com:photos:sicliff:

     

    The Shadow Leader of the House Of Commons, Chris Bryant, has resigned after revealing that he has lost confidence in Jeremy Corbyn’s ability to lead Britain’s opposition.

    In a week of political turmoil Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of Labour has been put under tremendous pressure with 12 of his front benchers quitting their roles.

    The resignations have forced Corbyn to announce a new cabinet.

    Chris Bryant, one of the UK’s most visible gay politicians  and MP for Rhondda in Wales Tweeted,

    “We need someone new to unite and lead Labour.”

    His resignation letter to Corbyn said,

    “If you refuse to step aside I fear you will go down in history as the man who broke the Labour Party.”

    “Sadly, the referendum has shown that you and your team cannot run an effective national campaign and that you do not command the support of the country.

    “I urge you, because you are a decent man to do the decent thing and take the only action that can avert potential disaster by stepping aside.

    “If you do so I believe future generations will praise your selflessness.”

     

    Jeremy Corbyn has refused to step down as Labour’s leader saying,

    “I regret there have been resignations today from my shadow cabinet. But I am not going to betray the trust of those who voted for me – or the millions of supporters across the country who need Labour to represent them.”

     

  • That 2nd referendum petition just hit 3 million

    That 2nd referendum petition just hit 3 million

    A petition calling for a 2nd EU Referendum has hit over 3 million signatures.

    CREDIT: EU
    CREDIT: EU

    Over 3 million people in the UK are calling on the Government to effectively retake a EU Referendum.

    The petition which was launched before the British referendum on the European Union calls for “a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60% based on a turnout  of less than 75% there should be another referendum”

    Within hours of the EU ref results, which saw just a slim majority of the electorate voting to leave the European Union over 70,000 people had voted for a second referendum.

    Now just two days after the result which has left many in a state of shock, over 3 million people have voted on the  petition for a second referendum, which is sure to become one of the largest petitions to be delivered to 10 Downing Street.

    As is stands Petitions which garner over 100,000 votes are eligible to be discussed by MPs in the House of Commons.

    The petition is asking the Government to carry out another referendum due to low turnout and a result that is less than 60 per cent.

    “We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60% based a turnout less than 75% there should be another referendum.”

     

    During the run up and during the voting on the EU, THEGAYUK asked its readers in a series of Flashpolls which way they were planning or hoping to vote. Overwhelmingly the readership said they were in the Remain camp, with 60 per cent saying they had voted for Stay.

     

    ALSO READ: David Cameron will resign in October

    ALSO READ: David Cameron booed at Pride after vowing to step down as PM

    ALSO READ: 79,000 people have voted for a 2nd referendum

     

  • Cabinet Minister comes out for Pride 2016

    Justine Greening has announced that she is in a same-sex relationship.

    The UK Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening has opened up about her sexuality, after announcing on Twitter that she is in a “happy same-sex relationship”.

    The MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields remarked that she had “… campaigned for Stronger In but sometimes you’re better off out!”

    She was referring to the UK’s European Union referendum which saw the UK’s electorate vote to Leave the EU, 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

    Her revelation was met with congratulations from many of her colleagues in the Conservatives.

    Former London Mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith wished Greening well, Crispin Blunt, Chloe Smith and Guy Opperman were just a few of Tory MPs who wished Greening well.

    Nicky Morgan, the Minister for Women and Equal Opportunity said she was delighted for the couple.

    The UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron, who announced that he is to resign after failing to secure a Remain vote in the EU Referendum tweeted his congratulations saying her announcement was “great news”.

    Justin Greening later said that she was, “amazed and overwhelmed” by the support and that she really “appreciated” the messages.

     

  • Bermuda slams down gay marriage

    Bermuda has overwhelmingly voted against same-sex marriage.

    (C) TheGayUK
    (C) TheGayUK

    The British Oversea Territory of Bermuda with a population of 65,000 just had a vote on gay marriage and it overwhelmingly voted against it. They held a non-binding referendum on the issue of same-sex marriage and were asked two questions:

    “Are you in favour of same-sex marriage in Bermuda?”

    and

    “Are you in favour of same-sex civil unions in Bermuda?”

    Both votes were lost by 69 per cent and 63 per cent respectively with just 46.89 per cent of the electorate turning out to vote on the issue. The low turn out makes the referendum invalid according to The Royal Gazette.

    The Premier said,

    “With yesterday’s referendum, Bermuda has expressed its democratic right to vote on two questions that have been the focus of discussion and debate for more than a year.

    “Based on the Referendum Act 2012, a referendum question shall be taken to be unanswered if less than 50 per cent of the persons registered in the parliamentary register vote at the referendum.

    “And with the results indicating a majority ‘no’ vote, and a less than 50 percent turnout, the Government will now consider the next steps that respects and reflects the views of the people.”

    Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1994 however the LGBT community do not have equality in terms of age of consent.

  • How the LGBT+ community voted in the EU Referendum

    How the LGBT+ community voted in the EU Referendum

    THEGAYUK undertook an independent flash poll to determine how its readers would be voting in the EU Referendum.

    Yesterday, THEGAYUK asked its readers how they were voting in the EU referendum in a Twitter flash poll.

    The results collected showed a strong sway to the Remain campaign with 60 per cent saying backed the UK staying within the EU. Thirty per cent said that they were backing Leave campaign to get the UK out of the European Union.

    Ten per cent of those who took part in the flash poll said they were abstaining or not planning to vote.

    ALSO READ: UK votes to leave the EU

    ALSO READ: Reaction to UK leaving the EU from the LGBT community

    ALSO READ: Prime Minister David Cameron to step down as UK’s Premier

    ALSO READ: Petition underway for 2nd referendum

     

  • Petition underway for 2nd referendum

    Petition underway for 2nd referendum

    A petition urging the Government to hold a second referendum has been launched following the historic decision for the UK to leave the EU.

    The Government’s petition website crashed after a new petition emerged demanding that they hold a second referendum after the UK voted to leave the European Union.

    The petition has already gained 79,000 signatures and is asking the Government to implement another referendum due to low turnout and a result that is less than 60 per cent.

    “We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60% based a turnout less than 75% there should be another referendum.”

     

    ALSO READ: UK decides to leave EU

    ALSO READ: David Cameron to step down as Prime Minister

    ALSO READ: Members of the LGBT community react to EU referendum

     

  • David Cameron to step down as Prime Minister

    David Cameron to step down as Prime Minister

    Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that he is to step down as the UK’s premier.

    David Cameron / Palinchak / Depositphotos

    David Cameron, who helped bring LGBT+ equality to the UK has announced that he is to step down after the UK voted to leave the European Union.

    The Prime Minister said that he would not leave for another 3 months, but said that the country needed “fresh leadership.”

    Speaking at a press conference outside 10 Downing Street, Cameron said,

    “I was absolutely clear [in the referendum] about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the European Union. And I made clear the referendum was about this and this alone, not the future of any single politician, including myself.

    “But the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction.

    “I will do everthing I can as prime minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months. But I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination.

    “This is not a decision I have taken lightly. But I do believe it’s in the national interest to have a period of stability and then the new leadership required.

    “There is no need for a precise timetable today. But in my view we should aim to have a new prime minister in place by the start of the Conservative party conference in October.

     

    ALSO READ: LGBT community reacts to EU Referendum result

    ALSO READ: UK votes to leave the EU

     

  • Reaction to UK vote to leaving the UK

    Here’s a look at the reaction from those in the LGBT community after the UK voted to leave the EU.

    The votes are in and the UK has voted, with a tiny majority, to leave the EU. Here’s what members of the LGBT community had to say.

    Marcus Collins, singer and actor

    Michael Cashman, Politican

    https://twitter.com/mcashmanCBE/status/746227480118190080

    https://twitter.com/mcashmanCBE/status/746227803096416256

    Milo Yiannopoulos, Politcal pundit

    Cristo Foufas, Radio presenter

    Olly Alexander, singer

    https://twitter.com/alexander_olly/status/746220303525675009

    Antony Cotton, actor

    Dan Savage, sex expert

    Michelle Visage, Drag Race judge and ex-Celebrity Big Brother

    https://twitter.com/michellevisage/status/746245389477543936

    https://twitter.com/michellevisage/status/746246017343840257

    https://twitter.com/michellevisage/status/746246118044893184

    Charlie King, reality star

    Jon Lee, singer

    https://twitter.com/JonLee321/status/746241207743946752

     

    Voters in England and Wales voted strongly to leave the EU whilst voters in Scotland, Northern Ireland and London (60 per cent stay) voted overwhelmingly to stay within the EU.

    The turnout for the referendum was 71.8% with over 30 million people turning out to vote.

  • UK votes to leave EU

    UK votes to leave EU

    The United Kingdom has voted to leave the EU in a historic referendum which will end its 40-year tie to the European Union.

    The United Kingdom has voted to leave the EU after a historic referendum sees the Leave campaign win 51.9 per cent of the vote. The Remain managed to swing 48.1 per cent of the vote.

    The Leave campaign was headed up by Boris Johnson and the Remain was headed by Prime Minister David Cameron.

    David Cameron / Palinchak / Depositphotos

     

    Voters in England and Wales voted strongly to leave the EU whilst voters in Scotland, Northern Ireland and London (60 per cent stay) voted overwhelmingly to stay within the EU.

    The turnout for the referendum was 71.8% with over 30 million people turning out to vote.

    UKIP leader Nigel Farage said that the 23rd June would, “go down in history as our independence day”.

    Nicola Sturgeon
    CREDIT: Scottish Government images

    Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party said that the way in which Scotland voted as a whole proved that it “makes clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union,” leaving little doubt that Scotland could be staging their own, second independence referendum.

    Money Matters

    As the news broke at 6AM that the UK had voted to leave the EU, the pound dropped to its lowest level since 1985. Against the US dollar it hit $1.3305. Oil prices also slumped after the news with Brent crude falling 5.2 per cent.

    Against the Euro the pound dropped 7 per cent to €1.2085.

    Financial instability and drops were expected in the case of a Leave vote with many finance experts expecting the markets to rectify themselves in time. The Bank of England said it was monitoring the markets saying,

    “It has undertaken extensive contingency planning and is working closely with HM Treasury, other domestic authorities and overseas central banks. The Bank of England will take all necessary steps to meet its responsibilities for monetary and financial stability.”

     

    ALSO READ: Reaction to UK leaving the EU from the LGBT community

    ALSO READ: Prime Minister David Cameron to step down as UK’s Premier

  • Man fined after he was caught masturbating by cops

    A man in his fifties has been fined by police in Bucks after they found him masturbating on the M40, whilst driving his car.

    In an operation to catch out distracted drivers Thames Valley Police managed to catch one man red-handed as he masturbated in his BMW on the motorway, which has a 70 MPH speed limit.

    He was fined after police caught him “carrying out an indecent act” near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

    Police were taking part in a campaign to catch out distracted drivers on the county’s roads.

    Apart from the masturbating man, they found over 147 drivers using their mobile phones. In total 187 motorists were fined between £60 and £100.

    Sergeant Paul Diamond said,

    ‘Most of the offenders are not horrible criminals, they are often kind and decent people but they just don’t realise the consequences of their actions not just to the victims but on their own lives and to the security of their jobs and family.

    ‘The irony is that most of the people we stop agree with what we are doing, so why do they do it?’

    So come on own up have you ever conducted an “indecent act” whilst driving?

    H/T Metro