Married MP Stephen Crabb who voted against equal marriage, sent sex messages to female friend
Former Tory leadership hopeful Stephen Crabb sent suggestive WhatsApp messages to a woman.
Mr Crabb was one of five candidates, Theresa May, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom and Dr Liam Fox, had put themselves forward for the vacancy, after the Prime Minister announced his resignation in wake of the EU referendum.
Now only Andrea Leadsom and Theresa May remain.
The Times reports that Mr Crabb, who voted against same-sex marriage legislation for England and Wales in 2013 and also opposed LGBT anti–discrimination protections in 2007, sent the messages to a woman saying the “public can’t expect MPs to be angels”.
In an exclusive interview with PinkNews last week, Mr Crabb said he was wrong to have voted against same-sex marriage and that he would push Northern Ireland to legislation for equality.
In the messages he said most MPs are “risk takers . . . in the areas of money, sex, political opportunism”.
The married 43-year-old who put an emphasis on family during his failed campaign for the Tory leadership, said he wanted to kiss the woman “everywhere”, asking her to call him.
The unnamed woman said she met the MP several years ago and that they had become friends.
According to the Times, Mr Crabb had proposed that he perform a sex act on the woman.
He told the paper that he had nothing to add to his remarks, but defended what he said about MPs being “risk-takers”, saying: “I’ve got nothing to add to that, I mean that’s a true observation, isn’t it?”
During the campaign, Mr Crabb has faced questions about his ties to the Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), an anti-LGBT evangelical organisation which advocates ‘gay cure’ therapy.
Mr Crabb entered politics as an intern for CARE, and his office has also taken interns from the group – though he has disavowed any ‘gay cure’ links.
Speaking to PinkNews ahead of the first ballot on Tuesday, Mr Crabb had addressed his record on LGBT issues.
The Tory MP told PinkNews that he had been wrong to oppose marriage equality and equal rights for LGBT people, adding that he does not believe homosexuality is sinful or can be cured.
Asked if he would back protections for a homophobic B&B owner who had turned a gay couple away on religious grounds, he said: “I’m somebody who does take very seriously this issue of protection of religious freedoms. I think we do need to strike a balance of rights in society, but that is one issue where I was wrong.
“I think that anybody who is looking to offer a good or service in the marketplace there should be no grounds for discrimination whatsoever.”
He added that he believed a religious person who refuses to serve someone who identifies as LGBT should be prosecuted “if they persistently show that they have no respect for equality”.
Dropping out, Mr Crabb gave his “wholehearted support” to Theresa May – describing her as “the only one candidate in a position to unite our party and lead a strong and cohesive government”.
