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UKIP’s ‘gay marriage caused floods’ councillor wasn’t news when he was a Tory, says Farage

Jan 20 2014
Written by Scott Roberts

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has accused the media of unfairly highlighting the views of one of its councillors who claimed that allowing gay couples to marry would lead to flooding and that the Prime Minister ignored his warning.

In a letter to his local paper, David Silvester said he had warned the PM the legislation would result in “disaster”.

He said David Cameron had acted “arrogantly against the Gospel”.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said Mr Silvester was entitled to his “strong Baptist view of the world”, but had defied a request not to do further media interviews.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Farage said: “I think it is very interesting that, when Mr Silvester was saying these things in 2012 and 2013 as a Conservative town councillor in Henley, it was not a news story.

“But suddenly he switches to UKIP and continues the same thing and gets on the national news.

“The establishment, the status quo, the big businesses, the big Eurocrats and our three so-called main political parties are scared witless by what UKIP is doing because we are striking a chord not just for ordinary people but for many elements in the business community as well.

“They will try to do whatever they can to shoot us down.”

In contrast to Mr Farage’s claims, PinkNews reported on Mr Silvester’s anti-gay remarks when he was a Tory councillor in February 2013.

In December 2012, PinkNews also reported how Mr Silvester had written a letter to David Cameron invoking the prime minister’s Christian faith as a reason why he should abandon plans to introduce equal marriage.

Mr Silvester also claimed in an interview defending his views that more children have been “murdered” as a result of abortion laws than the number of Jews killed in by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

When the Queen gave Royal Assent to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, David Cameron wrote for PinkNews.co.uk. In his article he said: “I am proud that we have made same-sex marriage happen. I am delighted that the love two people have for each other – and the commitment they want to make – can now be recognised as equal. I have backed this reform because I believe in commitment, responsibility and family. I don’t want to see people’s love divided by law.”

UKIP’s official position is that it supports same-sex civil partnerships but opposes same-sex marriages. The first same-sex marriages will be held in March of this year.