Many Lib Dems will have read with sadness of the resignation of Sam Phripp from Somerset County Council owing to “hostility, intimidation and bullying” – including “being referred to as ‘that dirty bloody homosexual'” – from activists from other parties. Here’s what the Lib Dems’ international development minister Lynne Featherstone has had to say about it:
“I was horrified to hear of the treatment of the local Lib Dem Councillor in Somerset,” Ms Featherstone, the Lib Dem MP for Hornsey and Wood Green told PinkNews.co.uk. We’ve come such a long way in this country to achieve equal LGBT rights and I couldn’t be prouder that this government introduced equal marriage.
“However, hearing stories like this reminds me we have such a long way to go. Members of the LGBT community should not be bullied in this way. I am very sorry to hear of Sam’s resignation and I hope it will be the last story like this I hear – homophobic behaviour has no place in our society.”
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21 Comments
This sort of behaviour is unacceptable full stop.
However there is also a long history of LibDems using the very same tactics at the highest level.
http://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2012/07/kingston-lib-dems-accused-of-running-homophobic-campaign.html
I would have thought any moral outrage on a sticks and stones stones story such as this by the LIb Dems, considering their horrendous recent history across issues of real sexual abuse and sexual predation, are a tad rich.
Or is it a question of do as I say, not as I do moralising!
Lynn – what support did Sam receive from the 17 fellow Libdems on Somerset CC?
Unfortunately, I am sure I am not alone in realising that quite a few members, certainly at local branch level – and it is hardly unknown at councillor level either – express what would be regarded as homophobic views. As liberals, Liberals, and Liberal Democrats, we should all be standing out against those views, and I certainly see it as one of my foremost tasks to oppose unreasonable prejudice, whenever and wherever it exists. But I do wonder whether it helps our overall image, particularly at present, where unfortunately hypocrisy is regarded by the public as a key Lib Dem trait, to accuse other parties of prejudice when it is present in our own ranks.
This was an appauling story, and the last I heard the council were not planning to investigate the alleged incident(s). Lib Dems (and other parties) need to challenge this, the council has a (slim) Conservative majority so the ball is in their court but Lib Dems (as well as the few Labour and Independent councilors, I won’t even bother suggesting UKIP) must put as much pressure on as possible.
Radiddy – that piece is an utter load of bollocks. Here’s what I said at the time: http://livingonwords.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/grove-tories-lose-plot-after-defeat.html
I read Cllr Phripp’s personal blog, and asked myself why, apparently no action had been taken
against the person who was overheard making the disgraceful remark about him.
@ Dan Falchikov
Your link states nothing at all apart from a personal view.
My point is about the hypocrisy, I could just as easily have quoted from the encylopedic list of miscreant LibDems that is in the public domain.
This holier than thou piece, is in contrast to the ‘Silence Of The LibDems’ across LibDem land over a long long list of sexual predatory and sexual assault cases , barely mentioned on sites like this. The party long ago vacated the moral high ground on matters sexual, perhaps it should stop giving people the opportunity to remember, and remind it of the hypocrisy of a party that turns a blind eye to serious sexual malpractice, yet is full of wounded indignation on a sticks and stone issue like this.
Raddiy,
Would you be kind enough to remind me how many Liberal Democrat MPs visited the Elm Guest House, and how many Conservative MPs did? I think you will find that the figures are one and five, but I cannot guarantee to have added them up correctly. Which goes to show that there are bad people in all political parties. However, I think the evidence is clear that the Liberal Democrats have a stronger and more consistent history of campaigning for gay rights than the other parties.
Raddiy(a name and photo would be an improvement) the fact that you can find homophobes, predators and paedophiles within the party is no surprise, (or simply people who can’t stop their hands from wandering) they exist in society and the Party is, hopefully, a cross-section of society. I know about throwing stones in glass houses, splinters in eyes etc, but unless we SET higher standards we cannot possibly hope to achieve them; we certainly won’t achieve anything by saying and doing nothing.
None of us is perfect, but it should not stop us striving for better..
@ Raddiy,
What has sexual predatory or serious sexual assault got to do with insulting someone because of their sexuality?
Sad that Sam would have to suffer this in modern times, unfortunate that Lib Dems couldn’t work together to help him through it.
@raddiy
>”there is also a long history of LibDems using the very same tactics at the highest level.”
If there was a long history of Lib Dems using peoples sexuality in campaigns you’d surely be able to substantiate your point with something better than what you’ve posted?
@Tim13
“I am sure I am not alone in realising that quite a few members, certainly at local branch level – and it is hardly unknown at councillor level either – express what would be regarded as homophobic views.”
If you know of bigoted Lib Dem elected representatives, out them! The electorate shouldn’t be presented with candidates that are fundamentally opposed to a liberal outlook on sexuality.
“The electorate shouldn’t be presented with candidates that are fundamentally opposed to a liberal outlook on sexuality.”
You need to be careful there, It could very easily be argued that the Lib Dem MPs who voted against legalising same-sex marriage were opposing a liberal outlook on sexuality.
I think it’s very unwise to try to make homophobia into a party issue.
It was reported by BBC Somerset Sound that Councillor Phripp had only attended 5 out of a possible 21 Council meetings. Maybe there is more to this . The leader of the Council categorically denied his allegations but maybe he would say that.
I have now read Sam Phripp’s account of what led him to his resignation a couple of times. I see the reports of homophobic behaviour there – the nasty names, and the attempts to get people not to vote for him merely on the basis of sexuality. However, I remained unsure that homophobia was the only, or even the main reason he resigned. As far as I could see, the incidents he quotes of homophobia happened last year, so if those were what he was particularly upset about, we might have expected a much earlier resignation, or a complaint being investigated etc. I wonder what else provoked his action now?
Chris B Sometimes “outing” might be an appropriate response. However, with some people with these views, they don’t bother to heavily conceal them, so outing doesn’t affect them greatly. I agree with Chris, that we would be unwise to make homophobia (or tolerance when applied to entire parties) a party issue.
Ra’diddy – your link states nothing but a personal view.
Here’s how it works. Tired and emotional defeated candidate makes silly accusation after narrow defeat. ConHome (a political blog with an agenda opposed to the Lib Dems) seizes on remarks and promotes it as a way of bashing their political opponents. Ben Stoneham – a loyal supporter of another non-Liberal party and a man with a questionable record of promiting LGBT equality also sees an opportunity for both self promotion and putting the boot in to a party with a better record than his own.
Then two years later an anonymous supporter of a non-liberal party decides to drag up this two year old opinion piece as evidence for a systematic discrimination against gays by the Lib Dems.
Incidently Mr Amer was so damaged by the by-election he decided to stand again – and managed to lose by two votes – rather than 29. And despite the Lib Dems once again issuing leaflets with ‘it’s a straight choice’ between them and the Tories he made no comment on his defeat.
Dan F I think you must be referring to Ben Summerskill. Ben Stoneham is, these days, a Lib Dem Peer, and formerly a senior member of Cowley St staff.
Sad to think there are Lib Dem MPs that consider equality optional. I don’t see how this viewpoint is compatible with Liberalism as a whole; equality is a basic tenet of Mill & Rawls’ ideology, none of the arguments that liberalism was born from work with an unequal society/court/system.
>”It could very easily be argued that the Lib Dem MPs who voted against
>legalising same-sex marriage were opposing a liberal outlook on sexuality.”
Yes, it could, and I would like to make that argument. 😉 As I see it, these MP’s aren’t liberals at all :
Sir Alan Beith – Christian social conservative
John Pugh – Worried about what his church would think
Sarah Teather – Christian social conservative
Gordon Birtwistle – “it’s just not on!”
I suspect that’s partly why 2 of them are standing down at the next election. I believe Lib Dem representatives should always strive to achieve social equality. When it came down to the crunch these cultural elitists sided with their Christian conservative values over and above their Liberal instincts, as such I’m glad they’re choosing a new career/retirement.
So, I don’t agree Chris and Tim13, I think equality is a party issue and if the electorate don’t realised they’re voting for a social conservative they might be shocked by what they get. I’d never think to ask a Lib Dem PPC their views on this sort of thing because I take it these people are hardwired for equality – to me that’s what they’re purporting by wanting to be a Lib Dem MP!
Same-sex marriage should be nowhere near the most important policy of a mainstream political party. Did Mill consider it? Arguably he wouldn’t have considered it under the title of “equality” at all! Every political party contains divergent views on some matters, and that’s liberal as well as real. So why sacrifice votes, potential supporters, potential applicants for PPC, probably even funding, and very well respected MPs on its altar?
Every political party contains divergent views on some matters, and that’s liberal as well as real.
Of course, that depends what the divergent views are. I don’t think anyone would suggest it was “liberal” for the party to have MPs who were opposed to racial or sexual equality.
>Same-sex marriage should be nowhere near the most important policy of a mainstream political party.
Nobody said it should be the most important policy. My argument was that if you don’t believe all humans are fundamentally equal and entitled to the same rights, you’re not a liberal – this is tautologically true.
>Did Mill consider it?
He certainly considered sexual equality at length and his arguments for it should apply in all cases – it’s impossible for a liberal to say they’re happy for this social subset to be equal, but not another. You don’t have to agree with the way people live, but to be a liberal you surely have to recognise that shouldn’t change their fundamental rights. Since Mill introduced the concept of universal treatment into British politics and we can find no caveats to it (he always rejected legal moralism), why would he make an exception for homosexuality? It would destroy his argument, so he’d probably ask you “how does it harm you, personally?”.
If treating people differently based on their sexuality isn’t a matter of equality, what is it?
>So why sacrifice votes, potential supporters, potential applicants for
>PPC, probably even funding, and very well respected MPs on its altar?
Because you’re a liberal and want to live in a world where people are treated as equals. A voter, supporter, PPC, donor or MP that doesn’t believe in equal rights for people regardless of sexuality is not a liberal at all and should join a party where equality’s not fundamental to its definition. It’s not sacrificing anything, it’s believing in something.
@ChrisB “to me that’s what they’re purporting by wanting to be a Lib Dem MP”
How quaint. I remember when we used to believe that we knew what somebody stood for when they wanted to be a Lib Dem MP. 🙁