Exclusive: ‘The nasty party is back with a vengeance’ – Labour condemns Tory-DUP alliance
A senior Labour Party source has slammed Theresa May’s Conservatives for entering into talks with the Democratic Union Party, PinkNews can exclusively reveal.
The source, who wanted to remain anonymous, also castigated the decision to appoint David Lidington as justice secretary.
“Not only is Theresa May courting a party with abhorrent views on LGBT rights to prop up her government,” they told PinkNews – “she has promoted an MP with a track record of voting against LGBT rights to her top team.
“It is clear the nasty party is back with a vengeance.”
The stinging attack followed Jeremy Corbyn exclusively telling PinkNews that May must not make LGBT people pay the price for her staying at 10 Downing Street.
He said: “LGBT rights are human rights.
“They must not be sold out by Theresa May and the Conservatives as they try to cling to power with the DUP.”
The Conservatives had their majority wiped out overnight after losing a dozen seats in last week’s election, and is now seeking help from the DUP and its 10 MPs to avoid the perils of ruling with a minority government.
The DUP opposes a raft of LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage, freedom from discrimination and same-sex adoption.
Arlene Foster’s ultra-conservative Northern Irish party has supported the introduction of a ‘conscience clause’ to protect religious people who want to discriminate against anyone who is LGBT.
This means LGBT people could be refused service or turned down for jobs simply because of their sexuality or gender.
The DUP has also attempted to retain a lifetime ban on gay men giving blood.
But when it comes to a 155-year-old law which can punish a woman with life imprisonment for terminating a pregnancy, Foster’s party is fully in favour.
Lidington, who is also lord chancellor now, has an appalling voting record of LGBT issues, having voted against same-sex marriage, civil partnerships and a proposal to appoint an LGBT rights envoy.
He also voted to maintain a ban on the promotion of homosexuality in schools, and voted against reducing the age of consent from 18 to 16 for homosexual sex three times.
May pledged to PinkNews that the Gender Recognition Act would be reformed in the next parliament, saying that “the legal process to change their gender can be distressing, so changes do need to be made.”
It remains to be seen how a partnership with the DUP would affect this promise.
On the plus side, the general election saw a record 45 LGBTQ people voted into Parliament, with a net gain of six.
The 45 represent seven percent of the new House of Commons, and is the highest level of representation ever in Britain and the world.
