UKIP appoints equalities spokesman to attack ‘politically correct waffle’
The UK Independence Party has appointed a spokesman for Women and Equalities to for the first time – attacking “politically correct waffle”.
The Brexit-backing UK Independence Party elected European Parliament member Paul Nuttall as leader last month in its third leadership change of the year, following the resignations of Nigel Farage, Diane James, and Nigel Farage.
Mr Nuttall is a long-time opponent of LGBT rights who has attacked plans to challenge homophobia in schools and called for people with HIV to be banned from the UK.
Reshuffling the party’s top team this month, Mr Nuttall has created a shadow spokesman for Women and Equalities.
The official UKIP website briefly listed the role as being held by “Marker Parker”, though it was swiftly altered to read Margot Parker MEP.
UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall MEP said, “Margot is persuasive, strong and 100% genuine; for the Women and Equalities brief, the ideal personality to cut through the politically correct waffle, get to the real issues and offer real solutions.”
In a statement, Ms Parker outlined plans to tackle persecution of “Christians and other minority religions”, but did not explicitly mention LGBT rights.
She said: “I am delighted to be named the first UKIP spokesman for Women and Equalities These important issues need to be promoted without patronising tokenism, virtue-signalling and political correctness.
“I am pleased UKIP has recognised the importance of addressing ongoing issues facing women, including the protection of vulnerable women and girls and helping women enter and succeed in the work place on equal terms.
“We also need to offer solutions to wider problems facing communities around the world, such as Christians and other minority religions experiencing persecution.”
In 2013, Ms Parker shared an article on Twitter that alleged a European “coup” was planned on same-sex marriage.
Mr Nuttall recently insisted that he has no problem with diversity in his top team because his deputy, Peter Whittle, is openly gay.
Facing questions about his largely white and male-dominated appointments shortly after his election, Mr Nuttall said: “Oh come on, that’s splitting hairs(…) if you want diversity, Peter Whittle my deputy is an open homosexual, if you want diversity.”
