Nadine Dorries, the outspoken Tory Culture Secretary, has been pulled up on her past record of voting against gay rights.
SNP MP John Nicolson upbraided Dorries in a waspish welcome to the Tory MP to her new role.
The SNP’s culture spokesperson raised the new Culture Secretary’s “long anti-gay rights voting record” in the Commons, saying “just as well there are no homosexuals in the arts sector”.
Nicolson tackled Dorries in her first outing at the Commons despatch box.
He said: “I’ve been glancing at her oeuvre.
"Now is perhaps not the time to discuss the alarming dumbing down in panto which she identified in this once highbrow art form, or indeed to ponder her long anti-gay rights voting record, just as well there are no homosexuals in the arts sector.”
Nicolson went on to ask Dorries about steps being taken to protect those in Afghanistan who fear for their lives and the future of the country’s culture, including women standing up for their rights in street protests, whom he described as “extraordinarily brave”.
The Culture Secretary said: “I thank my honourable friend for his warm and kind words of welcome.”
She said: “Of course we all stand with the women of Afghanistan.
"And I know he’s been looking through my long tweet history of 20 years, or whenever I first went onto Twitter, and therefore he will know that I have repeatedly supported the women of Afghanistan and will continue to do so.”
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