Ann Widdecombe suffered a humiliating election defeat to a gay man
The Brexit Party’s Ann Widdecombe lost to Luke Pollard (Steve Taylor / Echoes Wire / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
Brexit Party candidate Ann Widdecombe has suffered a disastrous election defeat – to a gay man who supports Remain.
The former Tory minister, who is known for extreme beliefs about homosexuality, lost out to out incumbent Labour MP Luke Pollard in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport.
Gay Remainer beats anti-LGBT Brexit Party candidate Ann Widdecombe
Pollard, the city’s first out MP, received 25,461 votes, while Widdecombe came third behind the Conservatives with 2,909 votes.
The symbolism of the defeat was not lost on Twitter.
One user noted: “Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe tried to get back into Parliament. She lost to openly gay, Remain-supporting Labour candidate.”
Another added: “It might not be great news overall, but it’s very good to hear Ann Widdecombe lost her bid to a gay remainer.”
Ann Widdecombe has a long anti-LGBT record
Ann Widdecombe came under fire earlier this year for suggesting that “science may yet produce” a cure for homosexuality.
The veteran anti-LGBT+ campaigner made the comments on Sky News on June 2 when pressed about a 2012 article she wrote lamenting that therapy to make people “become heterosexual” was denied to “unhappy homosexuals”.
Ann Widdecombe has previously backed gay cure therapy (Steve Taylor / Echoes Wire / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
Asked about her 2012 remarks, Widdecombe, 71, said, “I also pointed out there was a time when we thought it was quite impossible for men to become women and vice versa.
“And the fact we now think it’s quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn’t mean science may not yet produce an answer at some stage.”
In 2018, she criticised Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for expressing their support for the decriminalisation of homosexuality across the Commonwealth.
The former Tory minister has also used her Daily Express column to attack LGBT+ equality, branding the acceptance of transgender people “lunacy” and backing businesses who refuse to serve gay customers.
