England: Tory election losses the fault of gays
Defence minister: Equal marriage contributed to Tory local election losses
Gerald Howarth, a junior defence minister who opposed equal rights for gay couples in the armed forces and marriage equality generally says the government’s proposals to allow gay and straight couples equal access to civil marriage were a contributing factor in election losses last night.
In local elections around the UK, Labour made large gains on the Conservatives, gaining hundreds of seats and the control of 22 councils, an estimated 39 percent of the vote over the Tories’ 31 percent, according to BBC figures.
Mr Howarth, Minister for International Security Strategy, told the BBC: “There are issues, for example, like the proposals for gay marriage.
“A lot of Conservatives have written to me saying ‘I am a lifelong Conservative, there is no mandate for this, why is this being proceeded with?’.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/05/04/defence-minister-equal-marriage-contributed-to-tory-local-election-losses/
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