Cameron: ‘Polish allies are not homophobic’
Tory leader David Cameron has said that his party’s allies in Europe are not homophobic.
Yesterday, an open letter from celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard and Ewan MacGregor urged Cameron to oppose the views of the Polish Law and Justice Party.
The party opposes gay marriage and a number of its politicians have made offensive comments about homosexuality in the past.
Speaking to Sky News, Cameron said he would respond “very clearly” to the letter.
He said: “I don’t believe the Law and Justice Party are homophobic.”
“Poland is a Catholic country. Most of the parties in Poland do take a stance like that on issues like gay marriage.
“I don’t happen to agree with them but they’re not a homophobic party.”
Cameron broke away from an alliance with the EPP in Europe to honour an election promise he made but his new allies have been accused of homophobia, racism and anti-semitism.
He invited Polish Law and Justice Party MP Michal Kaminski, to speak at Conference yesterday. Kaminski was filmed calling gay people “fags” in an interview in 2000. He is now the president of the Tories’ new bloc in Europe, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.
Last night, Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill pulled out of attending a special gay Conference event citing the party’s alliance with Polish politicians as the reason.
He told Channel 4 News: “There is no doubt the progress that has been made in the last couple of years has genuinely been historic.
“It would be churlish of anyone not to welcome the apology a couple of months ago over Section 28.
“But the event tonight has been overshadowed by the presence, not just at conference but on the same platform as some senior members of the party, of people of such extreme and offensive views.
“And certainly there are people I’ve spoken to at the conference today, not just gay people but Jewish delegates as well, who share that viewpoint.”
