71% Tory Candidates would erode hard won Gay Rights

[marshlander]

Chris Bryant, Labour Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, has revealed to Pink News the results of a poll among Tory candidates for the next election which suggests that 71% of them support the right of religious adoption agencies to refuse gay couples. Once in power it seems they could begin chipping away at the rights that have been so hard won over the past few years.

In an interview for Attitude Mr Bryant explains further his frustration with gay people who propose to vote Tory.

Mr Bryant, 47, claimed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown is fully supportive of gay rights and described his boss, Commons Leader Harriet Harman, as "an absolute star."

He also said that "the one thing that winds me up" is gay people who consider the gay 'agenda' complete and are considering voting for the Conservative party.

"It's not that I think they should vote Labour because of all the things Labour has done for gays over the last few years, but more frustration at their complacency."

[fredv3b]

Mr Bryant regularly uses anything that could be seen as 'antigay' to dis the Conservative Party in whatever news outlet will run the story. Who did the poll? I doubt it was the Tory Party themselves, it just runs the risk of creating a bad news story. What was the response rate? Was it just a poll of prospective parliamentary candidates (not including sitting MPs who will be standing again at the next election) many of which will be standing for unwinable seats. Neither does it give any insight into the details of these candidates views. Some may think that a Catholic woman should have the right to give her child up to a Catholic adoption agency to be raised by Catholic parents.

The 'gay agenda' will never be complete if gays can only vote for Labour. If gays vote Labour to complete the agenda, Labour will delay its completion as long as it can.

Apologies for my biased point of view.

[Star Twister]

Now this could get interesting.........


Two great posts......



Looking forward to reading more

xxxx

[marshlander]

Don't apologise for a biased point of view, Fred. It's only by exploring all these ideas that we have any hope of approaching what may be possible, let alone any kind of truth. I am certainly not going to present myself as a Labour supporter or apologist, there are plenty of their decisions about which I take serious issue, but I do acknowledge what Blair's government has done for lgbt people. I also know that I am unlikely to be led easily into voting Conservative.

The survey was carried out for the ConservativeHome website and was reported in both the Daily Telegraph (not known for its left wing agenda) and The Times. The breakdown of the responses can be found here. In answer to your question, 192 prospective parliamentary candidates were e-mailed with the questionnaire of whom 70 (about 36%) got round to replying. I don't know what we are supposed to make of such a low response. Being too busy is hardly an excuse. Were the 64% waiting to see what others said first or what they might be told to say? On the other hand, most of our governments in recent elections have been elected by a similar number of voters.

While the ConservativeHome website seems not to be an official Tory trumpet, it does seem to have the support of a number of so-called grass-roots members.

Of course, one would expect Mr Bryant to have a particular view of the political world; it's his job. I do agree with you that if the gay vote (whatever that might turn out to be) is to mean anything, we all vote according to our consciences.

[fredv3b]

Marshy,

Thanks for the details of the survey. Frankly, a 36% response rate is pretty good for an email survey. Prospective Parliamentary Candidates generally speaking have my sympathies, they still have full-time jobs and families, etc. and on top of that they are expected to answer all sorts of correspondence, buy a home in the constituency etc.

ConservativeHome is certainly not part of the Official Party but it does have a strong following amongst grass-roots members. I do think the survey asks some interesting if controversial questions, I liked 81% of respondants wanting to reduce public expenditure in Scotland.