Conservative MP Alan Duncan says he doesn’t like it when people say an election is a “straight choice” as the only people who would say that are nasty horrible homophobic people.
So he must been busy calling for expulsion from his party of a past general election candidate and also a past leader, both of whom have also used the dreaded “s” word. After all, Mr Duncan wouldn’t be making up spurious attacks or turning a blind eye to homphobia in his own party would he?
He’d better add to the list of people he wants expelled then the Welsh Conservative Nick Bourne who … well I think you can see what’s coming … used the phrase “straight choice” to describe an election in Wales.
PS Could you email me a copy of your letters calling for the trio to be ousted Mr Duncan? I’d be happy to post them up so as to make clear that you’re sincere and genuine in your belief that these words are all mean and nasty and not to be used by reasonable people, and that you are not making up silly attacks or applying double standards or anything like that.
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4 Comments
Is that the same straight choice that Simon Hughes put on his leaflet at the time of the Bermondsey By election, when he was fighting against Peter Tatchell?
Top of the Shot misses the point. Oh dear.
The point is that it is a commonly used phrase. However, when used against Tories they describe it as homophobic, but when used by tories it is okay.
That is the point Mark Pack is making.
“That is the point Mark Pack is making.”
He’s not comparing similar situations though. The point Mark Pack is failing to get or simply ignoring is that a commonly used phrase that means X can involuntarely echo others meanings in some people if used in particular conditions. In a context where candidates’ sexuality is already being brought to voters’ attentions (in not a positive way) by external sources, using “it’s a straight choice” instead of “it’s a 2 horse race” can be easier in some people’s mind to connect the straight term to its sexual orientation’s meaning…that potential concern would not be present if sexual orientations of candidates is not a discussed topic in that electoral situation.
Andrea; the point being that it is perpetually misrepresented by some, in this case Duncan, that Hughes himself used the line as a direct attack on Tatchell; that is simply not the case.
Given the circumstances, it was an unfortunate use of a standard leaflet phrase that is used by all parties, but it was always used int eh context of Liberal Vs Labour, not referencing Tatchell, just as it is regularly used by 2nd place candidates in many elections all over the country.
If the best they can do to rebut clear evidence of their intolerant attitudes is to launch attacks based on 25 year old events that have been apologised for and not repeated, then they clearly are clutching at straws.
OTOH, I’m glad to see Mark has decided to drop this subject; many updates to the same post might’ve been better my friend 😉