Current Affairs

David Cameron blasts UKIP donor who claimed gay people are incapable of love

May 09 2014
Written by Scott Roberts

A UKIP donor, who claimed gay people are incapable of love and that wives cannot be raped by their husbands, has been criticised by David Cameron.

Greek shipping tycoon Demetri Marchessini made the comments last week in a Channel 4 News interview.

Asked by Political Correspondent Michael Crick if he thought that the “nature of homosexual relationships is different”, Mr Marchessini replied: “Oh completely different, there’s no love, only lust – and also the actions they do are completely different.

“They go out at night and they and they pick up, five, ten, fifteen different partners in one night. Is that love?”

When Crick suggested that many gay couples are in stable relationships, Mr Marchessini said: “But it’s not husband and wife, they’re roommates and both of them go out cruising.”

“There is no such thing as fidelity in homosexual relationships. They just all go out looking for action. That’s the way it is.”

Mr Marchessini also said that it is not possible for a husband to rape his wife.

In response, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said his party should “possibly not” be taking money from Mr Marchessini, but it was a matter for UKIP treasurer Stuart Wheeler.

Strongly alluding to Mr Marchessini, David Cameron told Sky News on Friday in an interview with Political Editor Adam Bolton: “Look at what some of their candidates have said, and some of their financial backers have said during this campaign, and they have made some truly appalling remarks about things like rape in marriage or [that] black people should go to Africa.

“I mean appalling things and they should stand condemned for the remarks they have made”.

“If you can’t control your candidates and financial backers it does raise a very real issue about the competence of your party.”

Mr Cameron added: “Whenever I’ve had a problem with candidates or financial backers I’ve dealt with them extremely robustly.”

Yesterday the Prime Minister said of Nigel Farage and UKIP: “We need people who have the policies, the answers, the ability to get stuck in and sort these problems out.

“Not simply people who stand up and make an attractive sounding protest.”

This week UKIP has come under sustained criticism for selecting MEP Roger Helmer as its candidate for the Newark by-election.

Mr Helmer previously described homosexuality as “abnormal and undesirable” – although he has since tried to play down the remarks.