THEGAYUK

Tag: Labour

All the latest breaking news on the UK political party, Labour. Browse The THEGAYUK’s complete collection of features and commentary on Labour in the UK.

  • Labour announces they’ll be marching in Prides across the UK, and lots of people are unhappy about that

    Labour announces they’ll be marching in Prides across the UK, and lots of people are unhappy about that

    The opposition party said it was “excited” to announce it was going to be marching in LGBT+ Prides across the UK on Twitter but blocked anyone from replying to their tweet.

    The UK’s Labour Party has said that it will be appearing on Pride marches across the UK in 2023. In a tweet sent late last night (18 April 2023 at 11.54PM) the LGBT+ section of the party, LGBTLabour, announced that it was planning to join marches in cities including, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester and London.

    However, it closed off replies to the tweet meaning that followers were unable to air their views on the announcement. However the Tweet itself has been ratio’d, it has only recieved 74 likes (at time of publish) but over 709 Quotes.

    THEGAYUK examined the first 100 quotes and found that all were responding negatively to the announcement.

    Despite replies being turned off for the Tweet, Twitter users could reply via “Quotes” and many, many users were very unhappy about Labour joining Pride marches.

    Labour, led by Sir Keir Starmer, is facing heightened scrutiny regarding their stance on LGBTQ+ issues, particularly those relating to transgender individuals.

    In early April, Starmer received criticism for his statement regarding female sex organs, in which he stated that it is “completely biological” for 99.9% of women. Additionally, Labour faced backlash from LGBTQ+ activists for expressing support of the Equality Human Rights Commission’s proposed review of the UK’s Equality Act, which seemingly advocated for a definition of “sex” as biological, potentially impacting both cis and trans individuals negatively.

    Trans activists cautioned against such a change in definition, arguing that it could adversely affect their lives. At Easter, Starmer generated further controversy for meeting with a Manchester church leader with anti-LGBTQ+ links. This was not the first instance of such controversy, as he previously visited Jesus House in London in 2021.

    Now users on Twitter are user “Quotes” to share their distain for Labour

    https://twitter.com/raptorbaitjoe/status/1648646223463604224
    https://twitter.com/QueerThassie/status/1648646355236143104
  • Jeremy Corbyn expected to step down as Labour leader after crushing defeat at the polls

    Jeremy Corbyn expected to step down as Labour leader after crushing defeat at the polls

    Bookmakers are now sharing the odds of when Jeremy Corbyn is expected to step down as Labour leader following the loss of over 45 seats in the 2019 General Election.

    Betfair Exchange is giving 4/7 odds that Jeremy Corbyn will step down in December, 11/5 in Jan-March 17/2 by April – June and 12/1 that he’ll stay in place until July.

    They are also taking bets on who will become the next Labour leader.

    Betfair Exchange spokesperson, Sam Rosbottom said that if the result was “anything to go by then it is set to be an incredibly disappointing night for the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn, who is now odds-on at 4/7 to step down as leader before the end of the month.”

    “The early front runner to take over from Corbyn is Keir Starmer at 13/8, while Rebecca Long-Bailey is 5/1 and Angela Rayner is 8/1 to become the next leader of the Labour party.”

    “After a disastrous night for Jeremy Corbyn and an equally disappointing night for the leader of the Lib Dems, Jo Swinson, who lost her seat, punters are already clear with who they think will step up as leaders. 

    “Corbyn has already explained that he won’t be leading the Labour party at the next election, and overnight Kier Starmer shot into the 13/8 odds-on favourite to become their new leader.

    “One of the big casualties of the evening was Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, who lost her seat in East Dunbartonshire. The early favourite to take over from her as leader is Ed Davey at odds of 8/13, while Layla Moran is closely behind him in the betting at 8/11. 

    “Now that the Prime Minister has a majority, focus will turn on how and when he will ‘Get Brexit Done’, with punters heavily backing a Meaningful Vote to pass in 2019 overnight into 2/5, but now those odds have drifted out to 6/4, suggesting bettors now aren’t as confident that Johnson will get his deal passed by the end of the year.”

    Who won the election?

    Overall, at the time of publication, the Conservatives, led by Boris Johnson won the most seats, meaning that Boris Johnson will become the UK’s next Prime Minister. They have won a majority with 364 seats. The Labour party has 203 seats, losing 59 seats.

    In Scotland, the SNP added another 13 seats meaning that it now has 48 MPs in Parliament.

    Liberal Democrats failed to make any headway, losing one seat and now has just 11 MPs sitting in the House of Commons.

  • Nearly one-quarter of the UK’s gay community are undecided on who to vote for

    Nearly one-quarter of the UK’s gay community are undecided on who to vote for

    10 Downing Street
    Who will win the race to 10 Downing Street – will Boris keep his premiership or can Corbyn or even Swinson knock him from the top spot?
    CREDIT: TheGayUK/Jake Hook

    With just days before our 3rd General Election in 4 years just around the corner, THEGAYUK.com undertook a flash poll to find out whether its readers had made a decision on who they were going to vote on the 12th December.

    THEGAYUK.com asked its readers a binary question of whether they were decided or undecided on who to vote for.

    In total, nearly 400 people took part in the survey, at the time of publication.

    One quarter are still undecided

    In a previous poll, about which way they were planning to vote, THEGAYUK’s readership said that Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, was their first choice with 38 per cent of the vote but was closely followed by the Liberal Democrats, headed by Jo Swinson.

    The Conservatives, with the incumbent Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, managed to grab hold of 15 per cent of the vote, while “other” which would you include parties such as the Greens, UKIP, The Independent Group For Change, Brexit Party, Plaid Cymru.

    However, there is just under one-quarter of people who are still undecided on who to vote for.

    At the time of publication, 23 per cent they were undecided, seventy-seven said they had made up their minds.

    One commentator, Jay, summed up their feelings by saying, “You look at the conservatives how many lies they have told and with the leader they have got with Boris Johnson is embarrassing. And you have Labour with the likes of Diane Abbott and a leader like Jeremy Corbyn. You have the Lib Dems who look like competition winners. I don’t know who to vote for.”

  • New survey indicates how the UK’s gay community might vote in the General Election 2019

    New survey indicates how the UK’s gay community might vote in the General Election 2019

    10 Downing Street
    Who will win the race to 10 Downing Street – will Boris keep his premiership or can Corbyn or even Swinson knock him from the top spot?
    CREDIT: TheGayUK/Jake Hook

    With our 3rd General Election in 4 years just around the corner, THEGAYUK.com undertook a flash poll to understand where its readers were thinking about putting their “X” when they visit the voting booth in December.

    THEGAYUK.com asked its readers which way they planned to vote with the choices being Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem or “Other” which could include Nationalist parties like the SNP or single-issue parties like the Brexit Party.

    There were only four options permitted – this the maximum number of choices Twitter allows its users for polls.

    In total, nearly 360 people took part in the survey, which lasted just over two days via a Twitter poll.

    Labour comes out on top – but only just

    Overall Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, came out on top with 38 per cent of the vote but was closely followed by the Liberal Democrats, headed by Jo Swinson. The Conservatives, with the incumbent Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, managed to grab hold of 15 per cent of the vote, while “other” which would you include parties such as the Greens, UKIP, The Independent Group For Change, Brexit Party, Plaid Cymru

    How will you vote?

    While the survey is in no way scientific or wholly representational of the LGBT+ community in the UK, it does give some insights into which way THEGAYUK’s Twitter followers are planning to vote come December 12th. Discuss politics and more in our politics forum.

  • Here are the 21 MPs who voted against adding LGBT+ inclusive relationship education for schools

    Here are the 21 MPs who voted against adding LGBT+ inclusive relationship education for schools

    There are 21 MPs who voted against adding LGBT+ relationship education in schools.

    MPs recently, overwhelmingly voted on new guidance that would mean that British schools would have to provide compulsory relationship and sex education that includes LGBT+ relationships for all children in state schools. It’s the first time the guidance has been updated since 2000.

    There were 21 MPs who voted against the measure. Of the 21 MPs, who voted against introducing LGBT+ relationship inclusivity 12 were Conservative, 7 were DUP, 1 Labour and 1 Independent.

    The 12 Tory MPs are: Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Charlie Elphicke (Dover), Sir Christopher Chope (Christchurch), Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough), James Gray (North Wiltshire), Julian Lewis (New Forest East) Matthew Offord (Hendon), Marcus Fysh (Yeovil), Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes), Philip Davies (Shipley), Philip Hollobone (Kettering) and Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire).

    All 10 of these MPs also voted against gay marriage in 2013. Some, who have been in office long enough also voted in favour of Section 28 back in 1988, including, Chope and Leigh.

    The 7 DUP MPs were Gavin Robinson (Belfast East), Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry), Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley), Jim Shannon (Strangford), Nigel Dodds (Belfast North), Paul Girvan (South Antrim), and Sammy Wilson (East Antrim).

    The Labour MP was John Spellar (Warley).

    The independent MP was Fiona Onasanya, who was formerly a Labour MP but was expelled from the party after she served a prison sentence for perverting the course of justice, in January.

     

  • Why is Section 28 trending on Twitter?

    Following on from the news that one Birmingham school has stopped its LGBT+ relationships and equality lessons, Section 28 has started trending on Twitter.

    CREDIT: © tomwang Depositphotos

    So for those who don’t know what Section 28 is here’s a little summary.

    What was Section 28?

    Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 meant that local authority employees, including school teachers, could not “intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality” or “promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”.

    Section 28 was supported by a number of religious groups including, Salvation Army, the Christian Institute Christian Action Research and Education, the Muslim Council of Britain, and groups within the Catholic Church and the Church of England.

    It became law in England, Scotland and Wales on the 24th May 1988 under Margaret Thatcher’s Tory government. Section 28 was repealed in 2003 by the Labour government. The Scottish government was able to repeal this bill in 2000 and was, in fact, one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the new Scottish Parliament.

    Why is it trending now?

    The Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Shabana Mahmood gave a speech at the end of February in which she raised concerns from her constituents that there was no consultation with parents before schools embarked on the No Outsiders campaign in Birmingham, where the ethos  of the campaign was to promote LGBT+ equality and to question transphobia and homophobia in primary schools.

    Many critics have called the speech shameful and homophobic.

    What’s happened?

    Embed from Getty Images

    Hundreds of predominantly Muslim parents at the Parkfield Primary removed their children from the school on Friday in protest at the No Outsiders lessons.

    The school removed the lesson and in a letter to the parents it said,

    “Up to the end of this term, we will not be delivering any No Outsiders lessons in our long term year curriculum plan, as this half term has already been blocked for religious education (RE).

    “Equality assemblies will continue as normal and our welcoming No Outsiders ethos will be there for all.

    The school has now confirmed that they have put the lessons on hold and will, according to The Guardian, “resume only after a full consultation with every parent”.

    The letter continued,

    “The discussions were a helpful first step and identified the key issues that are concerning parents, including the ethos, the books, the age appropriateness, the lessons and the assemblies. The agreed outcome of the meeting was the need to have a discussion with the school community about the No Outsiders curriculum and how it should be delivered.”

    Some parents have argued that their children are “too young” to be learning about same-sex relationships.

    One mother, Fatima Shah said,

    “We are not a bunch of homophobic mothers. We just feel that some of these lessons are inappropriate. Some of the themes being discussed are very adult and complex and the children are getting confused.

    “They need to be allowed to be children rather than having to constantly think about equalities and rights.”

    What are critics saying?

    https://twitter.com/Tonyblaney/status/1102866557795999745

     

    https://twitter.com/MarkBinmore/status/1102855095753105408

  • Disgraced MP Jared O’Mara quits Labour following on from exposed homophobic comments

    Apparently, Jared O’Mara was made to feel like a criminal during the probe into his historic online comments.

    Labour MP Jared O’Mara has quit the party after being reinstated following a suspension while historic homophobic and misogynistic online comments were investigated.

    The MP was suspended but was to be reinstated. He has now quit the party, saying “I am of the opinion that the Labour Party no longer shares my commitment to the true definition of equality and compassion,” he said.

    “There is no doubt that I made mistakes as a young man using distasteful language as a clumsy attempt at satire and sarcasm online. But that does not mean that is who I am today.”

    However, he seemed to suggest that he won’t be stepping down as an MP.

    He said, “I might be leaving Labour but I am still at your side”,

    Identifying himself as “the first autistic MP in our history”, he wrote: “I didn’t commit any crimes, yet I have been made unfairly to feel like a criminal.

    “Nobody should be made to feel ashamed for mistakes they make when they are young.”

    He added: “I would be lying to those of you whom I represent, and those close to me like my parents and sister respectively, if I continued under the pretence that I feel there is a place of acceptance and empathy for me as a working-class, underprivileged disabled man within the Labour Party.

    “I have experienced little to make me feel welcome, understood and accepted during this last year.”

  • Labour suspends MP after homophobic comments

    The Labour party has suspended Jared O’Mara, pending an investigation over alleged homophobic and misogynistic comments.

    Labour suspends MP after homophobic comments

    Following on from revelations over MP Jared O’Mara’s forum messages posted over a decade ago, which were misogynistic and homophobic, the Labour party have taken action to suspend the newly elected MP for Sheffield Hallam.

    The MP unseated the former Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg in this year’s general election.

    Mr O’Hara had issued an apology over his misogyny but failed to mention anything about his homophobia which included a message sent from an account which was allegedly his, in which he said he’d thought it would be funny if jazz singer Jamie Cullum was “sodomised” to death with his own piano.

    The minister had been serving on the Women’s and Equality committee but he resigned shortly after the messages surfaced.

    Speaking to BBC News the shadow chancellor John McDonnell said,  “There will be a full investigation by the Labour Party and then, as a result of that, a final decision will be made about his future.

    “New information has come to light, so quite rightly the Labour Party has acted swiftly. He’s been suspended, the whip has been withdrawn.”

    Transphobia

    Following on from the forum messages,  a former partner of the O’Mara, Sophie Evans, 25,  alleged he was abusive and transphobic. They dated seven months ago.

    Ms Evan alleges that O’Mara used sexist language and “transphobic slurs”

    Speaking to Daily Politics she said,

    “There were some transphobic slurs in there . . . he called me an ugly b*tch,”

    “I just thought ‘Wow, he’s not a very nice man’ and just forgot about it.

    “He never apologised to me or my friends that were involved. He has called us liars in the press, he has been on radio and called us liars.

    “I just find it very, very hard to believe that he has changed.”

    Mr O’Mara “categorically denies”the allegations.

  • MP Jared O’Mara quits equality role amidst homophobic and misogynist row

    Disgraced Labour MP, Jared O’Mara has resigned his post on the women’s and equality committee following the revelations of anti-gay and misogynist comments made on forums back in the early 2000s.

    The MP, who unseated Nick Clegg in the last General Election, is said to have used numerous anti-gay slurs on the Morrissey Solo website forum and Drowned In Sound. Terms such as “fudge packers” and driving “up the Marmite motorway” to describe gay people were used and a message was written that said gay people were “bitter and resentful about being homosexual”.

    Some of the messages date back to 2002.

    A message, which apparently used his email address was published which expressed a wish for jazz singer Jamie Cullum to be “sodomised” to death, the message read, “It would be no great loss to the music world if he was sodomised with his own piano and subsequently died of a sore arse. In fact, it would be quite funny.”

    Taking to Twitter, O’Mara issued an apology, saying he was “ashamed” of the comments that he made online and said that he was wrong to make them. He also apologised for the unacceptable language. However, he only apologised for the comments made about women and not the homophobic comments.

    His statement in full:

    “I am deeply ashamed of the comments I made online, which have emerged today. I was wrong to make them; I understand why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my use of such unacceptable language. I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse. Misogyny is a deep problem in our society. Since making those comments 15 years ago, I have learned about inequalities of power and how violent language perpetuates them. I continue to strive to be a better man and work where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I’m so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select Committee. I will continue to engage with, and crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle misogyny.”

     


    THEGAYUK.com reached out to O’Mara for clarification on his homophobic messages.

  • Vile homophobia from newbie Labour MP Jared O’Mara

    Forum messages allegedly made by the new Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, Jarod O’Mara have surfaced.

    An MP who sits on the Women’s and Equality Committee has had past homophobic and sexist forum comments allegedly written by him over a decade ago, unearthed by the political website, Guido Fawkes. 

    The MP, who unseated Nick Clegg in the last General Election, is said to have used numerous anti-gay slurs on the Morrissey Solo website forum and Drowned In Sound. Terms such as “fudge packers” and driving “up the marmite motorway” to describe gay people were used and a message was written that said gay people were “bitter and resentful about being homosexual”.

    Some of the messages date back to 2002.

    A message, which apparently used his email address was published which expressed a wish for jazz singer Jamie Cullum to be “sodomised” to death, the message read, “It would be no great loss to the music world if he was sodomised with his own piano and subsequently died of a sore arse. In fact, it would be quite funny.”

    In other messages Guido Fawkes reveals that published messages included:

    “Just cos he writes about gayness and gay issues, doesn’t mean he drives up the Marmite motorway, or for that matter, allows someone else to drive up his…

    “You do mean ‘took it up the ass’ figuratively don’t you?… I just think that this story is much more poignantly romantic than fudge packing Jake or anyone else in a casual manner and I don’t want such a lovely vista to be spoilt.

    “I find it funny how some homosexuals think they have the monopoly on being subject to abuse, they should try being Ginger…”

    “To those of you that are bitter and resentful about being homosexual, maybe you need to take a bit of pride in your gayness, it’s not something to be ashamed of.”

    The account that O’Mara used the same email address he used on another forum website Drowned In Sound.

    Taking to Twitter, O’Mara issued an apology, saying he was “ashamed” of the comments that he made online and said that he was wrong to make them. He also apologised for the unacceptable language. However, he only apologised for the comments made about women and not the homophobic comments.

    His statement in full:

    “I am deeply ashamed of the comments I made online, which have emerged today. I was wrong to make them; I understand why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my use of such unacceptable language. I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse. Misogyny is a deep problem in our society. Since making those comments 15 years ago, I have learned about inequalities of power and how violent language perpetuates them. I continue to strive to be a better man and work where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I’m so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select Committee. I will continue to engage with, and crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle misogyny.”

     


    THEGAYUK.com reached out to O’Mara for clarification on his homophobic messages.

    MP Stephen Doughty, the co-chair of the LGBT PLP said,

    “The comments are obviously totally unacceptable. As one of the Co-Chairs of the LGBT PLP, I raised my deep concerns directly in person with Jared this after and have received a frank apology”.

  • COMMENT | Tory and DUP? Not so much a Coalition of Chaos but a Partnership of Peril

    Right now my eyes are tired and my heart is heavy. I stayed up all night Thursday, watching until the early hours as the results rolled in. The exit poll told us we’d get a hung Parliament but I was willing it not to be true. The votes rolled in and it all became clear; Theresa May had failed but so had Jeremy Corbyn. Let’s get this absolutely straight; Corbyn has revolutionised the Labour Party and has mobilised a generation, but he should not be taking this a win. Labour lost. Conservatives lost. Now Britain has lost.

    It’s probably easy for me to be accused of being dramatic but I had outlined clearly my views on why Labour were the right choice. But it needs to be unequivocally clear; what we’ve ended up with now is dangerous and terrifying for LGBT people. Theresa May has decided to get into bed with the DUP. This is not so much a Coalition of Chaos but a Partnership of Peril.

    But why? Let’s look at the anti-LGBT viewpoint of the DUP. In 2005, during a Hustings event, one of their candidates said “You don’t bring a child up in a homosexual relationship. That the child is far more likely to be abused and neglected.” The DUP at the time said that Jim Well’s views were not their policy but just look at First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster. The Irish Government were poised to lift, by a minority, the ban on Gay Marriage. Arlene Foster introduced a Petition of Concern. This is a controversial mechanism in the Irish Assembly which means that, if submitted, proposed legislation must receive at least 60% of the vote and 40% of Nationalists and Unionists must also be present to vote. Arlene Foster knew this would kill the Pro-Same Sex Marriage legislation out of the gate.

    That’s just their leader in Northern Ireland. Their representative in Westminster proposed an introduction of a “conscience clause” in the Equality Act 2010 to allow businesses to turn away LGBT people on religious grounds. This man is a Party hero.

    And what about Equality elsewhere? The DUP played a vital role in continuing to restrict Abortion Rights in Northern Ireland. The DUP are anti-abortion even if the woman has been raped, a victim of incest and even if the foetus won’t survive the birth. This is despite a Court ruling which said the ban was against Human Rights.

    So here we are now with Theresa May who has publicly declared she would “rip up” the Human Rights Act and increase surveillance on the Internet. Sure, I am all for doing our best to battle against Islamic Extremism and Radicalisation online but you know exactly what’s going to happen. They’ll start asking Internet Service Providers to keep a database of our search and browsing history. These databases will inevitably be the target for hackers resulting in millions of people’s private searches being released. What about those in the closet? And hell, what about those people that are into the kinky side of sex? I can see it now; teachers and doctors, Police and Fire Officers being struck off after their private and intimate lives are leaked online. LGBT people hiding in fear of being exposed. You only have to look at the recent TalkTalk hack to know how lax ISP security can be.

    This is why we need to get over our heartbreak and sadness about this election and actually do something. We need to mobilise even more. I do not want to hear nonsense about Jeremy Corbyn and his leadership dominating the Labour Party for the next ‘x’ amount of months. The Labour Party must now focus on strong opposition. And we must join them. I will be re-joining The Labour Party and their efforts to oppose our Government. I will sign every petition and participate in every march because now is not the time for complacency. As we head into the Pride months as we celebrate by waving our flags, kissing our partners and living our free lives we must remember the activists of our past. They did not lay down their lives for us to stay behind our keyboards and allow our Government to steamroll over years of progress. And it isn’t enough for us to only turn up to LGBT events. Our country’s women will need us too.

    So I beg of you. Take this weekend to grieve the loss. Cry to your friends, ponder the future and hashtag your anger. But when it comes to Monday, it is time to clock back in. Your country needs you, your Community needs you, this world NEEDS you. We. Will. Rise.

     

    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.