Ex-UKIP candidate Kellie Maloney hits out at Nigel Farage
Kellie Maloney has lashed out at her former party leader Nigel Farage – over a “stupid” UKIP policy giving Christians the right to discriminate against gay people.
The boxing promoter and former UK Independence Party candidate came out as transgender last August, and gave a speech at the party’s Spring Conference earlier this year.
However, Ms Maloney has recently backed away from the party, recently warning they could become a “party of cavemen” on gay rights.
UKIP’s main manifesto did not mention LGBT people at all, but a secondary Christian manifesto – that the party neglected to release to the press – pledged to create a “conscience” loophole to weaken equality laws.
The party pledged of same-sex marriage in the document: “We will also extend the legal concept of ‘reasonable accommodation’ to give protection in law to those expressing a religious conscience in the workplace on this issue.”
Kellie Maloney told IBT of agreeing to speak at UKIP conference: “I felt that any platform was a good platform to talk on of you can help educate just one person I think you have done your job.
“I must admit I changed my views on UKIP when Farage brought that stupid policy [in] his Christian manifesto, which gave people the rights if they didn’t want to serve gay couples or they didn’t want to marry same sex couples, and I think that was dividing people.
“At the end of the day, we are all human beings and we all have to respect each other and get on with our lives I think.”
She previously said that Farage had made jokes at her expense, the first time they met following her transition.
Speaking of her rift with the party, she said: “It started when I met Nigel Farage.
“It was a cordial meeting where he made a couple of jokes about my transition but I made allowance, and I said all I want him and his party to do is understand and show sympathy to the LGBT community.”
