David Cameron to appeal to gay voters in his first speech after Brown calls election
Conservative leader David Cameron is to kick start his general election campaign with a speech that specifically mentions gay people as he campaigns for the “great ignored.” It will come a day after PinkNews.co.uk revealed that the popularity of the Conservative party within the gay community has slumped over the past month.
Labour party sources have confirmed that Gordon Brown will hold a final cabinet meeting tomorrow morning before an audience with the Queen where Mr Brown will seek a dissolution of Parliament and a General Election. While Mr Brown is with the Queen, David Cameron will begin his campaign with his pregnant wife Samantha, where Mr Cameron will say he wishes to give hope too “decent people”.
“We’re fighting this election for the Great Ignored – young, old, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight,” it is understood he will say.
“They start businesses, operate factories, teach our children, clean the streets, grow our food and keep us healthy – keep us safe. They work hard, pay their taxes, obey the law.
“They’re good, decent people – they’re the people of Britain and they just want a reason to believe that anything is still possible in our country.
“This election is about giving them that reason, giving them that hope.
“That’s the Conservatives mission – that’s my mission – for the next 30 days and I can’t wait to get started.”
Tory sources said 15 members of the shadow cabinet would be heading out into the country, with visits lined up for every region, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Specifically mentioning gay people will be part of Mr Cameron’s strategy to portray the Conservative party as a compassionate, liberal party that represents all in society. It will come just a day after PinkNews.co.uk revealed that the popularity of the Conservative party among the gay community has almost halved over the past year.
On Sunday, the shadow home secretary Chris Grayling came under fire for backing the right of bed and breakfast owners to bar gay couples in a speech secretly recorded by The Observer.
Mr Cameron is expected to answer questions submitted by PinkNews.co.uk readers over the coming days.
In its most recent survey, for the first time, PinkNews.co.uk found that the Liberal Democrats are the most popular party among the LGBT community with 29% of readers saying they will vote for them. Leader Nick Clegg today said: “Now is the time for all those people who want real change and real fairness in Britain to choose something different and turn to the Liberal Democrats.”
In an eve of election interview with the Daily Mirror, Gordon Brown concentrated on the economy: “Everybody predicted rapidly rising unemployment, far higher than it is now, but unemployment is lower than America and the rest of Europe,” he said.
“Everybody predicted that there would be a mortgage repossession rise equivalent to the 1990s; there has not been that rise.
“Everybody predicted there would be a lot more business failures; we have managed to keep businesses going.
“Do we throw this away now?”
