David Cameron says, "full equality is a bottom-line, full essential".

[marshlander]

Since we are going to have a general election in the next few months the views of party leaders ought to be scrutinised. Attitude has published Johann Hari's interviews with Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Let's talk about sex: Johann Hari grills David Cameron over gay rights - UK Politics, UK - The Independent

is an interview with Mr Cameron in The Independent.

Is Cameron's reinvention convincing, in the flesh, and in the end? He is a former corporate PR man, so you would expect him to be able to deliver a convincing sales pitch – and he does. He does have some real progress to sell: he talks about getting the Tory conference to applaud gay marriage, and the selection of gay candidates, with passion. His defence of gay refugees and opposition to the blood donation ban went further than he has to politically. Yet there was enough evasion and dissembling in his answers to sow doubts. He didn't tell the truth about his own voting record, and he made ludicrously false statements about his anti-gay European allies. On the biggest obstacles facing gay people – the real, on-going violence – he had little to offer beyond words of condemnation.

David Cameron is a hazy cloud of charm and platitudes: no matter how hard you peer into him, you cannot find anything solid to focus on for long. There are flickers of apparently real pro-gay feeling, but they are soon followed by excuse-making for some of the most anti-gay politicians in Europe. Which is the real Cameron? On this issue, I suspect even he doesn't know. But over the next four years, we are all going to find out: the beaming lights of power will part this mysterious and contradictory fog.

[fredv3b]

To be honest that piece almost made me feel sorry for Cameron. Yes, of course, he is far more vague rhetoric than definite substance, but what the hell does he expect from the Leader of the Opposition?

Everyone keeps going on about how joining up with the Polish Law and Justice Party in the European Parliament is evidence of latent homophobia within the Conservative Party, to be honest I am sure it is nothing of the sort. (I'm not saying there isn't latent homophobia, just that this has nothing to do with it.) In a moment of retrospective idiocy Cameron promised to leave the European People's Party (EPP, a grouping within the European Parliament) in his campaign for the Tory Leadership. He has not been able to wiggle out of this comittment. The rules of the European Parliament effectively force all national parties to form multinational groupings, having left the EPP, Cameron had no choice but to join in with the few other right-of-centre parties that were unhappy with the EPP, pretty much regardless of their beliefs and policies.

[peterinmalaga]

You are well informed, Fred. Though definitely left of centre I just don't know who to vote for in the UK elections. I don't like Brown or Cameron as potential leaders. I have never felt so undecided but I don't like abstaining either.

[fredv3b]

Forgive me for being a pedant but unless you used to live in Kirkcaldy, Cowdenbeith or the Whitney areas you won't be able to vote for either. I'm going to be looking closely at who is standing in my constituency.

[Genersis]

Although this is my first year voting I think i'll vote Liberal demercracts.
I read a little into each of the three main partys a while ago and labour seemed a very "average" party, while I was getting mixed messages about which direction the conservitives were coming from Rights wise.

The main excuse I hear for people not voting lib dem is:
"They're never going to win because not enough people vote for them" Bit circular, don't ya think?:tongue:

PS:Sorry I'm not very expireanced in politics:redface:

[marshlander]

... PS:Sorry I'm not very expireanced in politics:redface:

The same might be said of a few politicians.

And, of course, when Labour look like they might be receiving a pounding Brown raises electoral reform. Nothing suspicious there ( and I know he has mentioned it before and that little, if anything, would happen until after the next election anyway). Of course the rules of politics state that the LibDems have to complain that they might be getting what they have been campaigning for for for decades, because it would be the wrong sort of proportional representation

[fredv3b]

The Electoral Reform thing proves how Brown got where he is today, Blair and Cameron may have charisma and a sense of the man in the street but Brown and sheer political nous (sp?). It won't go anywhere but will split and stall the Lib Dems in the meantime, all the while he looks open to reform and listening when no one wants it and the idea dies.

[marshlander]

Much as I hate to laugh at another man's misfortune what exactly does David Cameron think about us? :confused: :confused:

Channel 4 News video player BC3

[fredv3b]

I believe that particular interview is an example of what is generally known as a train wreck. It is also interesting that it emerges on the day before the budget, coincidence? Me thinks not.

However I didn't actually pick up on anything new of substance. MEPs have always been fairly independant, if all MEPs were closely controlled by the party leaders in their own national Parliaments, then the European Parliament would grind to a useless halt. Clearly, it is not good that Tory MEPs refused to back a motion criticising government policy in Lithuania over gays but are happy to back other motions regarding subjects that are the responsibility of national governments not the EU, but does it really matter? Cameron is clearly confused about whether votes on equality issues should be whipped or free, but on the other hand I have never heard any party leader ever give a consistent policy statement on which votes should be whipped. In any case in a number of cases Labour itself has allowed free votes, (something that someone ought to tell Ben Bradshaw MP about)

I would highly recommend this article by Ben Summerskill in the Guardian.