The UK Independence Party has named its sixth leader in 18 months, and he has promptly spoken out about LGBT rights.
Former British Army officer Henry Bolton was the surprise winner of the party’s leadership contest this week, blasting past all of the frontrunners in a dramatic upset.
Unlike some of his rivals, who made the headlines with homophobic comments during the race, Mr Bolton has not publicly spoken about LGBT issues before.
But at his leader’s press conference, Mr Bolton said equality has gone “too far”.
He told press: “Quite honestly, I think it is getting a bit far when we are encouraging children in some cases to question their own sexuality.
“I think that is certainly going too far.”
Asked about trans people, he said: “What I have a problem with is that we should all have a choice in that debate.
“If somebody feels it has gone too far they should be free to express that concern.
“What concerns me more than anything else at the moment in that debate is that there is an effort to silence any dissenting voice and I don’t think that is in keeping with the principle of freedom of speech.”
Elsewhere at its party conference, UKIP unveiled a new website encouraging people to ‘come out’… for Brexit.
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