David Cameron may be remembered as the prime minister who legalised gay marriage, but he may still find it difficult to attract LGBT voters
Attitude magazine has analysed the different parties’ attitudes to homosexuality and highlighted the “pockets of diehard homophobia” that remain within the Conservative party, especially on the back benches.
In an analysis ahead of the election asking “Are LGBT people safe with the Tories?” it highlighted the party’s poor gay-rights voting record historically and during the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, which legalised same-sex marriages for the first time.
The magazine noted: “There were three different votes in the House of Commons. A total of 148 Conservative MPs voted in favour on at least one occasion, while 141 voted against – including the future Equalities Secretary Nicky Morgan – and 14 abstained. That means just 49% backed gay marriage. So much for detoxifying the Nasty Party.”
All is not lost for the Conservatives, however It was also noted that there were 13 out gay, bisexual or lesbian Tory MPs in the last parliament, more than Labour (nine) or the Lib Dems (three).
Iain Dale, the LBC presenter and conservative blogger, defended the party’s record, telling the magazine the Tories have made fast progress on gay rights. “Yes, the Tories historically haven’t exactly been that gay-friendly but unless you’re so blinkered to the fact that parties and individuals can change, then you’ll have noticed how David Cameron has been hugely successful in leading his party to a position where there is scarcely a tissue paper between the position of his party compared to the other two on gay issues,” he wrote.
The magazine does not advocate any particular party and its analysis points out that several members remained in the 2010-2015 parliament of a “homophobic rump” of Labour MPs who have “opposed equality” since the early 1990s.
It also criticises Ukip, highlighting its opposition to same-sex marriage in 2013 and the resignation in February of Tom Booker, chairman of its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group who said he “simply couldn’t defend the party any more”.
