Ken Livingstone: Tories are ‘riddled’ with homosexuals – Daily Telegraph

Ken Livingstone, Labour’s candidate for London mayor, has said that
the Conservative Party used to be “riddled” with homosexuals and
claimed Baroness Thatcher was “clinically insane” while prime
minister.

By James Kirkup

10:53AM GMT 09 Feb 2012

Mr Livingstone’s comments were condemned by Conservative MPs, who
called on Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, to rebuke his candidate.

In an interview with the New Statesman, Mr Livingstone said some Tory
MPs were hypocritically denouncing homosexuality, while secretly
“indulging” in the same practices.

Livingstone said the public “should be allowed to know everything,
except the nature of private relationships – unless there is
hypocrisy, like some Tory MP denouncing homosexuality while they are
indulging in it.”

Asked why he referred particularly to Conservative MPs, he added:
“Well, the Labour ones have all come out. As soon as Blair got in, if
you came out as lesbian or gay you immediately got a job. It was
wonderful.

“You just knew the Tory party was riddled with it like everywhere else is.”

Mr Livingstone also said he is refusing to watch the Iron Lady, a film
that depicts Lady Thatcher’s experience of dementia.

“I do not want to feel sympathy for her. I feel sympathy for the
people whose lives she destroyed,” he said, describing the former
premier as “clinically insane”.

Conservative London MPs Angie Bray and Mike Freer wrote to Labour
leader Ed Miliband calling on him to ensure that the remarks were
retracted.

Ms Bray said: “These are the sort of offensive remarks we hear all too
often from Labour’s candidate for mayor.

“Ed Miliband should condemn these outrageous comments and get him to
apologise immediately.”

A spokesperson for Ken Livingstone said: “Ken is clearly saying the
advance of lesbian and gay people into politics is unequivocally a
good thing.

“He has fought for equality for gay and lesbian people throughout his
life, and the fact they are represented in all major political parties
is a sign of the progress that has been made.”