This is the biggest election of my generation. We’ve heard this a lot and it’s mostly been attached to the Brexit negotiations coming up but that isn’t the only reason. Truth is, the country has never been more divided than ever.
In the last election, much the chagrin of my friends, I voted Conservative. I had read every manifesto and watched every interview and debate. Far from feeling “Con-Demed” by the coalition, I was impressed with the Conservatives’ move to the middle. I am a young professional, not earning a massive amount and still renting without hope of getting on the property latter any time soon. It felt like Ed Miliband’s focus was only on those in poverty. It seems selfish, written down but that’s how I voted; on what party I felt would help me but also help the country. I voted believing the Conservatives would represent everybody.
What ensued was austerity and deep cuts. These cuts have left open wounds for our country that continue to bleed. The Conservative plan to invest in the NHS at the rate of inflation, allowing the NHS to find its own cuts elsewhere, turned out a disaster. The mere £8 billion investment had not been and still hasn’t been enough to keep up with growing demand with the Guardian reporting in March that “the number of patients not receiving treatment within 18 weeks of referral has gone up by 100,000 since January 2016” leading to the NHS scrapping the 18 week target for 92% of all patients in England “who are waiting for a hip or knee replacement, cataract removal, hernia repair or other non-urgent operation.”
Then there’s the cruelty of Conservative welfare reform. After the May 2015 election, Iain Duncan Smith told a victorious Conservative Party Conference it was time to end the “something for nothing culture” they blamed on Labour. The result? People have died whilst on sanction and 52% of appeals by people who have been declared “fit to work” and had benefits slashed have been approved, proving the unfairness of the system. Now, sanctions were prevalent before the 2015 election and I could be fairly accused of ignorance on the matter but now my eyes are wide open. Let’s not also forget that, due to inflation and poor wage growth, the cost of living has increased leaving us shorter each month. I do not believe that being on benefits should be a way of life. I agree that a Labour Government allowed not working to pay more than working but what we have now is a system that treats all claimant as second-class citizens and, in addition, allows them to go hungry. The Trussell Trust’s recent end of year report was damning “Between 1st April 2016 and 31st March 2017, The Trussell Trust’s Foodbank Network provided 1,182,954 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis compared to 1,109,309 in 2015-16. Of this number, 436,938 went to children.”
If the NHS and the Welfare State don’t bother you, just look at the manifestos when it comes to equal/LGBT rights. Labour has an entire section dedicated to LGBT equality. The Conservative Manifesto doesn’t mention it once yet Theresa May felt it important to acknowledge her support of Fox Hunting. Whilst LGBT rights and influence has improved, no thanks to the Prime Minister’s poor voting record, we still have a long, long way to go. The Home Office reported in January of this year that there are 20 reported homophobic hate crimes a day in England and Wales. That’s only the ones that are reported. Yet the Conservatives feel no need to pledge support?
I could go on and on about failings of our current Government and I am sure you’re saying “but what about Labour?!” The UK political system is sometimes frustrating. We are, realistically, a 2-party nation. I do not, in any way, agree with everything Corbyn believes. His party’s policies, in places, are much too liberal. His lack of charisma frustrating. And trust me, anyone like Diane Abbott (or, indeed, Diane herself if she returns from her period of ill health) as Home Secretary will be devastating to our international reputation. But I believe a Conservative Government will be more damaging. We cannot go on as we are with a Government whose focus is on the people who need them the least, at the expense of those who need them the most.
Every election I have ever voted in, who/whatever I’ve voted for has won. I back winners because I back what I believe the country I dearly love needs. This Thursday, I back Labour.
If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine. In this trying times, it is important to show the strength of our democracy. But there is no doubt that this election could be transformative no matter which Party you support. So please get out there, come rain or shine, and vote.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
With only two days before the nation votes, we again stand in the shadows of tragedy. The terrorist attacks at London Bridge and Borough Market on Saturday have proven another unexpected development, changing the narrative of an already convoluted election. What Theresa May billed as the Brexit election when she announced it back in April has quickly become the security election. Both the Prime Minister and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have faced criticism over their records on terror and security – Mrs May for cuts to policing and intelligence failures on her watch, and Mr Corbyn for his links to the IRA and other terrorist organisations.
It’s easy to look at what happened over the weekend – and in Manchester last month – and lose sight of other issues as they pale in comparison. But alas, there are stories worth bringing your attention to as we enter the home stretch of election 2017 – which has proven to be gayer than we ever thought possible.
That could be down to something in the water. That is, at least according to Susan King, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Telford. In a web chat with the Shropshire Star last week, Ms King – a former anti-fluoride campaigner – claimed “there are a lot of feminising hormones getting into the environment and that has to be taken into consideration.” As if that weren’t a peculiar enough statement for a parliamentary candidate to make, Ms King continued by adding that “it’s affecting people’s sexuality basically,” whilst insisting that “people are at liberty to interpret how they want to live themselves.”
The notion that British water is making people gay has attracted a lot of criticism, not only because many people think it’s borderline homophobic but because it’s also just quite daft. In a way, though, I kind of wish our water were making people gay. Maybe then I could marry Prince Harry.
Of course, then Caroline Ansell might try to cure us both. Ansell, the incumbent Conservative candidate in Eastbourne, accepted funding for an intern from the homophobic and transphobic Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) charity. According to the Metro, CARE funded a conference on conversion therapy back in 2009. It shouldn’t be so surprising that Ansell would take money from CARE, as she is also a member of the Kings Church Eastbourne, which the Metro reports is a part of anti-LGBT churches that preach gay people can be “cured.”
Another church that allegedly believes gay people can be “exorcised” of the demons of same-sex attractions is Jesus House, a fast growing church in London. Last week, Theresa May stopped by to worship with its controversial and anti-gay marriage pastor, Agu Irukwu. Pink Newsreports that Pastor Irukwu wrote in 2006 that the Sexual Orientation Regulations was “the latest discrimination against Christians” and that it would “force Christians… to accept and even promote the idea that homosexuality is equal to heterosexuality.” (Spoilers: it didn’t.)
If it seems I’m beating up on the Tories and Liberal Democrats here, it’s because they’ve given me the most fodder over the past several weeks. I’ve been keeping a keen eye out for any interesting gay gaffes, and other than Kezia Dugdale telling people to vote for the Tories (seriously, that’s a really bad electoral strategy, Kezia), Labour has been fairly gaffe-free on issues of equality. The Tories, with their notoriously checkered history on issues of equality, are continuing to experience growing pains as they try to balance their conservative base with their more progressive front bench (and a more enlightened electorate). The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, literally started and ended this campaign talking about gay sex.
When we wake up on Friday morning we could have the gayest parliament in history. The last parliament already saw a world record number of gay MPs. Yet in a report for Pink News, Professor Andrew Reynolds of The LGBT Representation and Rights Research Initiative at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill predicts that “the gains made by LGBTQ candidates in June 2017 will outweigh any losses.” According to Professor Reynolds, there could be as many as 24 new LGBT MPs elected of the 147 openly LGBT candidates standing this year.
So all and all, not a bad gay election. Of course, I don’t know who is going to win on Friday (the polls show Labour pulling close, but it’s still likely to be a Tory majority), but I do know that this election has been more of a whirlwind than any in my lifetime. I’m kind of glad it’s almost over, and I live for politics, so I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. Just hang in there and know that no matter who emerges as Prime Minister at the end of the week, THEGAYUK Magazine will be there to bring you all the details.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
After a few sombre days of mourning the victims of the Manchester attack, the Conservative and Labour are back on the campaign trail
With less than two weeks until the country votes on the 8th of June, you can bet they’re ready to make up for lost time and make their final pitches to the public.
The biggest political story of the past two weeks is undoubtedly the release of the party manifestos. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives all released their manifestos last week. I blogged about what they pledged to the LGBT community for HuffPost UK, while THEGAYUK’s editor-in-chief, Jake Hook, put together a quick guide for your easy reference.
Labour and the Lib Dems specifically made pledges to the LGBT community, but the Tories didn’t mention us once. This is, to put it bluntly, unacceptable. Regardless of political position, that one of the major parties—never mind the Prime Minister’s party—would neglect to mention the LGBT community or make any specific pledges to us seems almost unfathomable. It is yet another gaffe in an already controversial Tory manifesto, which has seen the Prime Minister U-turn on her plans for a so-called “dementia tax” (which would use the homes of deceased dementia sufferers to subsidise the care they received whilst alive).
Why the Conservatives didn’t think to include us in their vision for the country is beyond me, but it’s nothing short of an astonishing. This is all the more galling when you consider that UKIP, of all parties, managed to remember us when they controversially released their manifesto yesterday, ahead of the resumption of campaigning by the other parties. Granted, they only mentioned the LGBT+ community in a pledge to “test the social attitudes of migration applicants” towards women and gay people.
Whilst this sounds nice on the surface – nobody wants a bunch of raging homophobes coming into the country – many on social media have pointed out that a lot of UKIP’s own members wouldn’t pass this test. In the last week alone it was revealed that Iain Kealey, the UKIP candidate for Bristol South, once compared gay people marching against Islamophobia as “Jews for Hitler,” whilst their candidate in Witney has a penchant for referring to our community as the “gaystapo” and allegedly has ties to those who practice gay conversion therapy. Oh, and he’d like to repeal gay marriage.
UKIP wasn’t the only party with a gay cure controversy though. The conservative candidate in Brighton and Hove, Kirsty Adams, is reported to have links to a church that believes LGBT people are possessed by demons, which they then try to cast out. Ms Adams, who is standing against openly gay incumbent Labour candidate Peter Kyle, refused to say she doesn’t believe in the practice of casting out demons, but did say she has “never been homophobic” and supported equal marriage. “I am committed to all forms of equality,” she said in a statement.
Never mind casting out demons, though. Some trans people won’t even be able to cast a vote. The deadline to register to vote was Monday night, but as Pink News reported, several trans people were having issues registering after they legally changed their names or had protected National Insurance numbers (which some trans people opt for so their gender identity is less likely to be revealed).
If they do manage to vote and live north of the border, Kezia Dugdale – the out leader of Scottish Labour – has a novel suggestion for how they should vote, and it isn’t for her party. Ms Dugdale came under fire from many on the left when she seemingly encouraged some constituencies to vote Conservative in an effort to defeat the Scottish National Party. “The reality is the vast majority of seats across Scotland, it’s only the Labour party that can beat the SNP,” she told Sky News, before adding “there are a few differences in the Borders and the Highlands where the Tories might be better placed…” Suggesting people vote for your opponents is a novel way to win seats, but takes all sorts, I suppose.
Meanwhile, another out lesbian north of the border – the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson – has made the exact same pitch. That is, she’s asking Labour voters to support the Tories to oust the SNP. Of course, the SNP holds all but one of the constituencies in Scotland, so they’re unlikely to be completely wiped out. But Davidson’s Scottish Tories are doing remarkably well, currently polling in second place – their best showing in decades. They look poised to pick up at least one or two Scottish constituencies.
Meanwhile, back in England, the Liberal Democrats faced a backlash from their own members for an allegedly transphobic poster. “Vote her, get him,” says an image depicting Nigel Farage’s face imposed upon Theresa May’s body. According to the Telegraph, the chair of LGBT Lib Dems, Jennie Rigg, tweeted that the sign is “bordering on transphobia” and that the press team was “making her life difficult.” This is on top of the brouhaha that erupted earlier in the campaign when Lib Dem leader Tim Farron took weeks to publicly say that no, gay sex is not a sin. Judge for yourselves whether the image is transphobic:
You don't have to accept May and Farage's extreme version of Brexit that will wreck the future for you and your family. pic.twitter.com/wBoNgCrx4F
In yet another bit of bad news for the Lib Dems, former Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes – who is openly bisexual – was reported to the police by his Labour opponent, the incumbent MP Neil Coyle who defeated Mr Hughes in their Bermondsey constituency in 2015. In leaflets which allegedly looked like newspapers, Mr Hughes claimed Mr Coyle was being investigated for abusing members of his party’s staff, which Mr Coyle categorically denies.
Despite his sexual orientation, Mr Hughes has a spotty history when it comes to LGBT+ rights. He led a notoriously homophobic campaign against gay rights activist Peter Tatchell to win his constituency in 1983. More recently, he refused to vote for same-sex marriage, instead abstaining from the vote whilst outlining his opposition to same-sex marriage in a 2013 blog for the Liberal Democrat Voice. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
On that note, I’m off to make some enemies of my own by knocking back a few pints and challenging my local bartender to an ABBA sing-off. Blame the demon homosexuals in me, I guess. Until then, stay strong and stay fabulous.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
As a reminder to where Scottish MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in the UK, we’ve listed all the MSPs who voted for same-sex marriage in 2014.
Here is the full list of MSPs who voted for same-sex marriage in Scotland.
CONSERVATIVES
Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland)
Ruth Davidson (Glasgow)
Annabel Goldie (West Scotland)
John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands)
John Scott (Ayr)
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
George Adam (Paisley)
Clare Adamson (Central Scotland)
Christian Allard (North East Scotland)
Colin Beattie (Midlothian North and Musselburgh)
Marco Biagi (Edinburgh Central)
Chic Brodie (South Scotland)
Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane)
Margaret Burgess (Cunninghame South)
Aileen Campbell (Clydesdale)
Roderick Campbell (North East Fife)
Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley)
Angela Constance (Almond Valley)
Bruce Crawford (Stirling)
Graeme Dey (Angus South)
Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns)
Bob Doris (Glasgow)
James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart)
Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern)
Annabelle Ewing (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Linda Fabiani (East Kilbride)
Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West)
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North)
Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross)
Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth)
Fiona Hyslop (Linlithgow)
Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)
Colin Keir (Edinburgh Western)
Bill Kidd (Glasgow Anniesland)
Richard Lochhead (Moray)
Kenny MacAskill (Edinburgh Eastern)
Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands)
Derek Mackay (Renfrewshire North and West)
Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands)
Michael Matheson (Falkirk West)
Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland)
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland)
Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside)
Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse)
Aileen McLeod (South Scotland)
Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden)
Stuart McMillan (West Scotland)
Alex Neil (Airdrie and Shotts)
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie)
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West)
Shona Robison (Dundee City East)
Michael Russell (Argyll and Bute)
Alex Salmond (Aberdeenshire East)
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast)
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central)
Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow Southside)
John Swinney (Perthshire North)
David Torrance (Kirkcaldy)
Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine)
Paul Wheelhouse (South Scotland)
Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin)
John Wilson (Central Scotland)
LABOUR
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton)
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Richard Baker (North East Scotland)
Jayne Baxter (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland)
Neil Bibby (West Scotland)
Sarah Boyack (Lothian)
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith)
Kezia Dugdale (Lothian)
Mary Fee (West Scotland)
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn)
As a reminder to where Scottish MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in the UK, we’ve listed all the MSPs who voted against same-sex marriage in 2014.
Here is the full list of MSPs who voted against same-sex marriage in Scotland.
CONSERVATIVES
Gavin Brown (Lothian)
Alex Fergusson (Galloway and West Dumfries)
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland)
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands)
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland)
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland)
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife)
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
Dr Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Roseanna Cunningham (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)
As a reminder to where MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in England and Wales, we’ve listed all the MPs who voted for same-sex marriage in 2013.
Here is the full list of MPs who voted for same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
CONSERVATIVES (127)
The Conservative MPs who voted for same-sex marriage:
Stuart Andrew (Pudsey)
Greg Barker (Bexhill & Battle)
John Baron (Basildon & Billericay)
Gavin Barwell (Croydon Central)
Richard Benyon (Newbury)
Crispin Blunt (Reigate)
Nick Boles (Grantham & Stamford)
Peter Bottomley (Worthing West)
Karen Bradley (Staffordshire Moorlands)
James Brokenshire (Old Bexley & Sidcup)
Aidan Burley (Cannock Chase)
Conor Burns (Bournemouth West)
Alistair Burt (Bedfordshire North East)
Dan Byles (Warwickshire North)
David Cameron (Witney)
Neil Carmichael (Stroud)
James Clappison (Hertsmere)
Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells)
Kenneth Clarke (Rushcliffe)
Damian Collins (Folkestone & Hythe)
Oliver Colville (Plymouth Sutton & Devonport)
Tracey Crouch (Chatham & Aylesford)
Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood)
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East)
Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton)
Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford & Woodford Green)
Michael Ellis (Northampton North)
Jane Ellison (Battersea)
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)
Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster)
Mike Freer (Finchley & Golders Green)
Lorraine Fullbrook (South Ribble)
David Gauke (Hertfordshire South West)
Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton)
Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park)
Michael Gove (Surrey Heath)
Richard Graham (Gloucester)
Helen Grant (Maidstone & The Weald)
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell)
Damian Green (Ashford)
Justine Greening (Putney)
Ben Gummer (Ipswich)
Sam Gyimah (Surrey East)
William Hague (Richmond (Yorks))
Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon)
Matthew Hancock (Suffolk West)
Greg Hands (Chelsea & Fulham)
Mark Harper (Forest of Dean)
Richard Harrington (Watford)
Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry)
Charles Hendry (Wealden)
Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs)
Damian Hinds (Hampshire East)
George Hollingbery (Meon Valley)
Kris Hopkins (Keighley)
John Howell (Henley)
Jeremy Hunt (Surrey South West)
Margot James (Stourbridge)
Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove)
Bernard Jenkin (Harwich & Essex North)
Jo Johnson (Orpington)
Andrew Jones (Harrogate & Knaresborough)
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham)
Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown)
Andrew Lansley (Cambridgeshire South)
Jessica Lee (Erewash)
Oliver Letwin (Dorset West)
Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth)
Peter Luff (Worcestershire Mid)
Jason McCartney (Colne Valley)
Mary Macleod (Brentford & Isleworth)
Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales)
Francis Maude (Horsham)
Theresa May (Maidenhead)
Mark Menzies (Fylde)
Maria Miller (Basingstoke)
Nigel Mills (Amber Valley)
Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield)
Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North)
Stephen Mosley (Chester, City of)
David Mowat (Warrington South)
David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale)
Andrew Murrison (Wiltshire South West)
Brooks Newmark (Braintree)
Sarah Newton (Truro & Falmouth)
Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster & Fleetwood)
Guy Opperman (Hexham)
George Osborne (Tatton)
Richard Ottaway (Croydon South)
John Penrose (Weston-Super-Mare)
Andrew Percy (Brigg & Goole)
Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar)
Chris Pincher (Tamworth)
Daniel Poulter (Suffolk Central & Ipswich North)
Dominic Raab (Esher & Walton)
Mark Reckless (Rochester & Strood)
Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Kent Mid)
Amber Rudd (Hastings & Rye)
Laura Sandys (Thanet South)
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield)
Alok Sharma (Reading West)
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness)
Keith Simpson (Broadland)
Chris Skidmore (Kingswood)
Chloe Smith (Norwich North)
Julian Smith (Skipton & Ripon)
Nicholas Soames (Sussex Mid)
Anna Soubry (Broxtowe)
Caroline Spelman (Meriden)
Andrew Stephenson (Pendle)
Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South)
Rory Stewart (Penrith & The Border)
Desmond Swayne (New Forest West)
Hugo Swire (Devon East)
Justin Tomlinson (Swindon North)
Elizabeth Truss (Norfolk South West)
Ed Vaizey (Wantage)
Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet)
Charles Walker (Broxbourne)
Robin Walker (Worcester)
Dame Angela Watkinson (Hornchurch & Upminster)
Mike Weatherley (Hove)
Chris White (Warwick & Leamington)
David Willetts (Havant)
Sarah Wollaston (Totnes)
Tim Yeo (Suffolk South)
Sir George Young (Hampshire North West)
LABOUR (217)
The Labour MPs who voted for same-sex marriage:
Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington)
Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East & Saddleworth)
Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East)
Douglas Alexander (Paisley & Renfrewshire South)
Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East)
Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green & Bow)
Graham Allen (Nottingham North)
Dave Anderson (Blaydon)
Mr Jon Ashworth (Leicester South)
Ian Austin (Dudley North)
Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West)
Willie Bain (Glasgow North East)
Ed Balls (Morley & Outwood)
Gordon Banks (Ochil & Perthshire South)
Kevin Barron (Rother Valley)
Hugh Bayley (York Central)
Dame Margaret Beckett (Derby South)
Hilary Benn (Leeds Central)
Luciana Berger (Liverpool Wavertree)
Clive Betts (Sheffield South East)
Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham, City of)
Hazel Blears (Salford & Eccles)
Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South & Cleveland East)
Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central)
David Blunkett (Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough)
Ben Bradshaw (Exeter)
Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West)
Lyn Brown (West Ham)
Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Russell Brown (Dumfries & Galloway)
Chris Bryant (Rhondda)
Karen Buck (Westminster North)
Richard Burden (Birmingham Northfield)
Andy Burnham (Leigh)
Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill)
Alan Campbell (Tynemouth)
Martin Caton (Gower)
Sarah Champion (Rotherham)
Jenny Chapman (Darlington)
Katy Clark (Ayrshire North & Arran)
Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley)
Vernon Coaker (Gedling)
Ann Coffey (Stockport)
Michael Connarty (Linlithgow & Falkirk East)
Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford)
As a reminder to where MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in England and Wales, we’ve listed all the MPs who voted against same-sex marriage in 2013.
Here is the full list of MPs who voted against same-sex marriage in the UK.
CONSERVATIVES (136)
The Conservative MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Nigel Adams (Selby & Ainsty)
Adam Afriyie (Windsor)
Peter Aldous (Waveney)
David Amess (Southend West)
James Arbuthnot (Hampshire North East)
Richard Bacon (Norfolk South)
Steven Baker (Wycombe)
Tony Baldry (Banbury)
Guto Bebb (Aberconwy)
Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West)
Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley)
Andrew Bingham (High Peak)
Bob Blackman (Harrow East)
Peter Bone (Wellingborough)
Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West)
Julian Brazier (Canterbury)
Andrew Bridgen (Leicestershire North West)
Steve Brine (Winchester)
Fiona Bruce (Congleton)
Robert Buckland (Swindon South)
Simon Burns (Chelmsford)
David Burrowes (Enfield Southgate)
Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan)
Douglas Carswell (Clacton)
Bill Cash (Stone)
Rehman Chishti (Gillingham & Rainham)
Christopher Chope (Christchurch)
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswolds, The)
Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal)
Geoffrey Cox (Devon West & Torridge)
Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire)
David Davies (Monmouth)
Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire)
Philip Davies (Shipley)
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden)
Nick de Bois (Enfield North)
Caroline Dinenage (Gosport)
Richard Drax (Dorset South)
Charlie Elphicke (Dover)
Jonathan Evans (Cardiff North)
David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford)
Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks)
Liam Fox (Somerset North)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh & Wickford)
George Freeman (Norfolk Mid)
Roger Gale (Thanet North)
Sir Edward Garnier (Harborough)
Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest)
Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham)
John Glen (Salisbury)
Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby)
James Gray (Wiltshire North)
Andrew Griffiths (Burton)
Robert Halfon (Harlow)
Simon Hart (Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South)
Sir Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden)
John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings)
Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire North East)
Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne & Sheppey)
Philip Hollobone (Kettering)
Adam Holloway (Gravesham)
Sir Gerald Howarth (Aldershot)
Stewart Jackson (Peterborough)
Gareth Johnson (Dartford)
David Jones (Clwyd West)
Marcus Jones (Nuneaton)
Greg Knight (Yorkshire East)
Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne)
Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North)
Pauline Latham (Derbyshire Mid)
Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford)
Edward Leigh (Gainsborough)
Julian Lewis (New Forest East)
David Lidington (Aylesbury)
Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden)
Jack Lopresti (Filton & Bradley Stoke)
Jonathan Lord (Woking)
Tim Loughton (Worthing East & Shoreham)
Karen Lumley (Redditch)
Karl McCartney (Lincoln)
Anne McIntosh (Thirsk & Malton)
Stephen McPartland (Stevenage)
Esther McVey (Wirral West)
Anne Main (St Albans)
Paul Maynard (Blackpool North & Cleveleys)
Stephen Metcalfe (Basildon South & Thurrock East)
Nicky Morgan (Loughborough)
Anne-Marie Morris (Newton Abbot)
David Morris (Morecambe & Lunesdale)
James Morris (Halesowen & Rowley Regis)
Bob Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst)
Caroline Nokes (Romsey & Southampton North)
David Nuttall (Bury North)
Stephen O’Brien (Eddisbury)
Matthew Offord (Hendon)
Jim Paice (Cambridgeshire South East)
Neil Parish (Tiverton & Honiton)
Priti Patel (Witham)
Owen Paterson (Shropshire North)
Mark Pawsey (Rugby)
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead)
Mark Pritchard (Wrekin, The)
John Randall (Uxbridge & Ruislip South)
John Redwood (Wokingham)
Jacob Rees-Mogg (Somerset North East)
Simon Reevell (Dewsbury)
Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington)
Andrew Robathan (Leicestershire South)
Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury)
Andrew Rosindell (Romford)
David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds)
David Rutley (Macclesfield)
Andrew Selous (Bedfordshire South West)
Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet & Rothwell)
Sir Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills)
Henry Smith (Crawley)
Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge & Malling)
John Stevenson (Carlisle)
Bob Stewart (Beckenham)
Mel Stride (Devon Central)
Julian Sturdy (York Outer)
Robert Syms (Poole)
Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth & Horncastle)
David Tredinnick (Bosworth)
Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight)
Shailesh Vara (Cambridgeshire North West)
Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes)
Ben Wallace (Wyre & Preston North)
Robert Walter (Dorset North)
James Wharton (Stockton South)
Heather Wheeler (Derbyshire South)
Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley)
John Whittingdale (Maldon)
Bill Wiggin (Herefordshire North)
Gavin Williamson (Staffordshire South)
Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth & Southam)
LABOUR (22)
The Labour MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Joe Benton (Bootle)
Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley)
Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill)
Rosie Cooper (Lancashire West)
David Crausby (Bolton North East)
Tony Cunningham (Workington)
Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton)
Brian Donohoe (Ayrshire Central)
Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South)
Mary Glindon (Tyneside North)
Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe & Sale East)
Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney)
Michael McCann (East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow)
Jim McGovern (Dundee West)
Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde)
George Mudie (Leeds East)
Paul Murphy (Torfaen)
Stephen Pound (Ealing North)
Frank Roy (Motherwell & Wishaw)
Jim Sheridan (Paisley & Renfrewshire North)
Derek Twigg (Halton)
Mike Wood (Batley & Spen)
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT (4)
The Liberal Democrat MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Sir Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed)
Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley)
John Pugh (Southport)
Sarah Teather (Brent Central)
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Gregory Campbell (Londonderry East)
Nigel Dodds (Belfast North)
Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley)
The Rev William McCrea (Antrim South)
Ian Paisley Jr (Antrim North)
Jim Shannon (Strangford)
David Simpson (Upper Bann)
Sammy Wilson (Antrim East)
INDEPENDENTS (2)
The Independent MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
We have divided the main issues into six sections:
Education: specific classes and lessons in sex and relationship education and a commitment to tackle bullying.
Crime: a specific look into tackling hate crime on the basis of sexual/gender orientation. Better support for domestic violence victims and survivors.
Workplace: a specific look into tackling inequality in the workplace.
Healthcare: a specific look into policies affecting mental, sexual health, PrEP and transgender/intersex issues.
In politics: What laws will be amended and changed to fully equalise the LGBT community.
On the world stage: What will the next government do to show that the UK is a beacon of LGBT rights?
We have also only taken parties that have a national footprint.
CONSERVATIVES
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: No specific mentions of LGBT+ sex or relationship education
Crime: No specific mention of LGBT+ but pledged: “push forward with our plan for tackling hate crime committed on the basis of religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity”
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
In politics: Nothing specific to LGBT+
On the world stage: “We will expand our global efforts to combat extremism, terror, and the perpetration of violence against people because of their faith, gender or sexuality”.
LABOUR
Number of mentions of LGBT: 11
Education: Teachers will be given training on how to deal with bullying.
They’ll also ensure that new guidance is issued on relationships and LGBT-inclusive sex education.
Crime: Labour pledges to bring the law on LGBT hate crimes into line with hate crimes based on race and faith, by making them aggravated offences.
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: Labour has pledged that it will work to “reverse the damage done to mental health services under this Tory government, which is particularly hitting services for LGBT and BAME communities”.
Labour also pledges that frontline healthcare professionals receive ongoing training to understand and meet the needs of LGBT patients and service users.
And PrEP? Well, they pledge that “NHS England completes the trial programme to provide PrEP as quickly as possible, and fully roll out the treatment to high-risk groups to help reduce HIV infection”.
In politics: They pledge to reform the Gender Recognition Act, which will protect trans people by changing the protected characteristic of ‘gender assignment’ to ‘gender identity’. They also pledge to remove outdated language such as “transexual”.
On the world stage: Labour have announced that they will “appoint dedicated global ambassadors for women’s rights, LGBT rights and religious freedom to fight discrimination and promote equality globally”
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Number of mentions of LGBT: 5
Education: The Lib Dems have promised to review sex education in schools saying that they will include lessons on sexual consent, LGBT+ relationships and issues surrounding explicit images and content.
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: The Lib Dems want companies with more than 250 employees to publish data on their employment of BAMEs LGBTs and pay gaps.
Healthcare: The Liberal Democrats have promised to ensure that “LGBT+ inclusive mental health services receive funding and support”. They also want to make PrEP available on the NHS.
In politics: The Lib Dems pledge to introduce legislation that will allow for all-BAME and all LGBT+ parliamentary shortlists.
On the world stage: The Liberal Democrats pledge a commitment to promoting the “decriminalisation of homosexuality around the world and advancing the cause of LGBT+ rights”.
UKIP
Number of mentions of LGBT: 1
n education: UKIP will end sex education in primary schools. Will look into whether further legislation is required to tackle cyberbullying.
On health: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community, but promised to increase funding for mental health. Will also hold a review into editorial codes of the media, to promote “healthy body images”.
On politics: UKIP pledge to test the social attitudes of those who are seeking to immigrate to the UK. They wrote,
“…we do not believe in treating women or gay people as second-class citizens, and we hold to a fundamental belief in democracy and free speech. UKIP’s points-based immigration system will, therefore, include one further major principle: we will test the social attitudes of migration applicants to foster community cohesion and protect core British values”.
UKIP also will repeal Labour’s Human Rights legislation and remove the UK from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights”. They will replace with a new UK Bill of rights.
On crime: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community.
On the world stage: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community
THE GREEN PARTY
Number of mentions of LGBT: Have released an entirely separate LGBT+ Manifesto.
They have released an entire LGBT+ manifesto. Which includes the following pledges:
Education: Sexual and relationship education for all students. Require every school to have an anti-bullying programme. Provide teachers with training to provide LGBT+ inclusive education.
Crime: Greens pledge to “Combat all forms of antiLGBTIQA+ prejudice and violence through improved hate crime protections”.
Workplace: Noting specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: Wide-ranging policies affecting the Trans and Intersex community. Including, giving people “personal autonomy in all medical decisions” and “Improve access to medical services and gender identity clinics, particularly for trans and non-binary young people.” They have said they would also, “Protect the welfare state in the face of Government cuts and preserve the vital security net many LGBTIQA+ people rely upon”.
In politics: Has pledged to make same-sex marriage “truly equal” to include pension rights. They will also open civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples. Will “Apologise to and pardon all 50,000–100,000 people convicted of consenting adult same-gender sexual relations under antisodomy laws that have now been repealed.”
On the world stage: The Greens have said, “The Green Party would speak out against those countries that discriminate against, marginalise and kill LGBTIQA+ citizens, and work with countries leading the way in recognising and protecting” the LGBT+ community.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
Number of mentions of LGBT: 5
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: The SNP will support efforts to ensure PrEP becomes available on NHS to any who needs it in the UK.
In politics: The SNP pledge to push the UK Government to extend the Turing Bill pardon to gay men convicted of same-sex activity who are still alive today.
They also pledge to ensure that same-sex couple have equal pension rights and “protected characteristics are expanded to ensure all LGBTI people are fully protected from discrimination and harassment”.
On the world stage: The SNP pledge to reform the detention and asylum system for LGBT+ people escaping countries where homosexuality is still illegal. They also pledge to remove “unfair and invasive demands for ‘proof’ of sexuality or gender identity”.
They also say,
“SNP MPs will support the establishment of a special envoy to promote the rights of LGBTI people throughout the world, as an integral part of UK foreign policy – helping to alleviate the discrimination and persecution faced by LGBTI people in Chechnya and across the world”.
Plaid Cymru
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
In politics: Has pledged to publish a “human rights charter” to provide human rights regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation.
On the world stage: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Democratic Unionist Party
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
The Conservatives are the latest party to reveal their manifesto, so we’re delved into the paperwork to find out what the Conservatives have promised and pledged to the LGBT+ community of the United Kingdom.
However not specifically the Conservatives have pledged:
On education
The Conservatives pledge to introduce “comprehensive” sex and relationship education but fails to mention any specifics to LGBT sex or relationships. “We will educate today’s young people in the harms of the internet and how best to combat them, introducing comprehensive Relationships and Sex Education in all primary and secondary schools to ensure that children learn about the risks of the internet, including cyberbullying and online grooming”.
On Crime
On hate crime the Conservatives promise to be tougher on hate crime, they say, “…we will push forward with our plan for tackling hate crime committed on the basis of religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity”.
On the world stage
The Conservatives have pledged, “We will be the world’s foremost champion of free trade. We will expand our global efforts to combat extremism, terror, and the perpetration of violence against people because of their faith, gender or sexuality”.
You’ll have noticed that this week’s column is coming a little later than usual. There’s a reason for that. Whilst those ensconced in the Westminster bubble are feverishly obsessed with Brexit and winning the election, those of us who prefer Soho were busy celebrating “gay Christmas.” Yes, it was Eurovision weekend, and like any good gay, I was busy rooting for my favourite camp act (the poor sods from Spain, whom apparently I alone liked) and cheering on the fabulous Lucie Jones.
I took my union flag to a skyscraper overlooking Lake Michigan here in Chicago, joining a British ex-pat and Polish immigrant – meaning thankfully, politics was not a topic of conversation. Judging from Twitter, though, I imagine your Eurovision party might not have been so relaxing. It seems everyone was interested to see how Brexit would affect the Eurovision voting. The Prime Minister warned ahead of Saturday’s final that we shouldn’t get our hopes up. In an interview with the BBC’s The One Show, she promised we wouldn’t Brexit from Eurovision (thank God!), but that “…in the current circumstances, I’m not sure how many votes we’ll get.” Whilst we didn’t do well among EU heavyweights France and Germany, Lucie was able to garner 111 votes, finishing better than any British entrant in several years.
Lucie herself was a bit more confused about the role Brexit played in her showing. She told ITV’s Lorraineearlier today that “Nobody actually talked about Brexit [in Kiev]. It wasn’t a thing. I wasn’t ‘Brexit Girl,’ which was really nice.” This contradicts what she told the Sun following Saturday night’s show. “I did notice lots of Brexit comments,” she said, noting that she voted Remain, which surely made this even more annoying. “I did vote to remain in the EU,” she said, “but hey, not much we can do about it now. Lots of people voted to leave and we’re a democracy and that’s the way of the world. Sh*t happens.”
It most certainly does, Lucie, and loads of it happened this week other than Eurovision. So let’s put on our Wellies and wade into some of it.
The biggest news of the week was undoubtedly the leak of Labour’s draft manifesto – the most radical in a generation, since Michael Foot’s famed “longest suicide note in history” way back in 1983 – before I, and I reckon many of you, were even born. The Daily Mail and the Tories jumped on this, accusing Labour of trying to take the country back to the 1970s (whilst at the same time lauding Theresa May’s admission she and husband Philip have “boy jobs and girl jobs” at home – because that’s not antiquated).
But should we all be busting out bellbottoms and disco balls just yet? Labour contends we shouldn’t, labelling it a “forward thinking” manifesto that will be deeply popular with voters. The polling backs them up on this. As the Independentreported, around half of people support Labour’s proposals to renationalise the railways, Royal Mail, and the energy market. Meanwhile, policies such as higher taxes on higher earners and building more houses have also gone down extremely well with voters.
People want to know where the money is coming from. Labour promises that its official manifesto will be fully costed. Until then, we can but speculate on how Corbyn plans to find the funds to pay for his proposals. It should also be noted that the leaked draft manifesto contains other policies sure to be popular with the electorate, including raising the minimum wage and keeping Trident – despite Jeremy Corbyn’s own distaste for the country’s nuclear deterrent.
Labour can take some solace in the fact that these proposals poll so well, but they certainly can’t rest on their laurels. A recent Survation poll shows the Tories hold an 18 point lead over Labour. It seems that much of this is down to how the leaders are perceived. In another piece, the Independent reports that more people disapprove of the Tories than support them, but that voters still seem to approve of Theresa May’s performance as Prime Minister than disapprove.
This may be why Ms May’s name is splashed on the side of the Tory battlebus, and why the Conservatives are so keen to make this election a choice between her and Mr Corbyn. The Conservatives more than any party are making this an election about personalities, which makes it strange that she is so reticent to show one. She is refusing to take impromptu questions from reporters (something I criticised her for last week in a HuffPost blog last week) and is still refusing to take part in televised debates. Mrs May is playing her cards close to her chest, running one of the most stage-managed campaigns in living memory. It’s understandable why, but there may come a point where voters demand greater access to the woman who wants to lead the UK out of the EU.
Some other things that have piqued my interest this week and you lot should be watching out for:
The Tories have expressed a desire to repeal the ban on fox hunting; considering how unpopular this is with the electorate, it demonstrates Theresa May’s confidence in winning a majority on 8th June
Still, Jeremy Corbyn is climbing in the polls – but can he catch up to Ms May in a short time?
Corbyn told Buzzfeed he wouldn’t step down as Labour leader should he lose the election, so if that comes to pass, be ready for yet another bloody battle for the soul of the Labour Party
The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition – a Labour splinter group who challenged Labour from the left in the past two elections – has decided not to stand this go-round, citing Labour’s left wing manifesto.
And because I know you’re all keen to know, former One Directioner Harry Styles has said he’ll vote for whoever is against Brexit – an endorsement the Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has surely welcomed. If only sixteen-year-olds (or, you know, I) could vote.
Keep watching this space as we continue to bring you the biggest and gayest election coverage anywhere on the internet. In the meantime, whilst you’re out on the doorsteps, keep your eyes peeled for someone who can win us Eurovision next year. After this election and the coming Brexit negotiations, we deserve a win.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
A Conservative candidate has made the claim, that Prime Minister Theresa May is a “friend of the gays” during an exclusive interview with THEGAYUK.
Ben Howlett, one of the 40+ openly LGBT+ candidates standing for election in the GE2017 has said that Prime Minister, Theresa May, is a “friend of the gays” and that she was key to bringing gay marriage to the UK.
“She’s got a proven track record of delivering leadership when it comes to the LGBT community, and no less than at a time when we were pushing through equal marriage, and she was central to that”.
“She’s definitely a friend of the gays, put it that way”.
Ben Howlett was the MP for Bath from 2015 until 2017 (when the GE2017 was called by Ms May). He won with 37.8 percent of the vote, beating the Liberal Democrats’ Steve Bradley (29.7 percent).
“(anyone) …who is a leader of a political party who is putting themselves up for election and is asking the public to trust them is bound to get a whole range of questions from a whole range of different groups”.
Theresa May has had a chequered past on LGBT votes. Up until 2004, she voted against or was absent from the majority of votes which affected the gay community, including the equalisation of the age of consent and the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales. To see how gay friendly Ms May is click here.
