I was just reading about the issue of homosexuality and UKIP, and the comments made by Frank Maloney. There are several versions of this which differ considerably. The BBC article appears to give the most complete account:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3666155.stm
Quote:
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Frank Maloney said he would not be campaigning in the borough of Camden because there are "too many gays".....But Mr Maloney defended his remarks: "I don't want to campaign around gays...I don't think they do a lot for society."
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Obviously Mr Maloney has a right to say whatever he wishes, otherwise our dedication to free speech means nothing, but as my mother would say: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all".
Firstly, I am sure that Mr Maloney's views do not represent those of the party as a whole. This kind of comment simply gives more fuel to those who wish to label UKIP as a far-right, anti-muslim, anti-gay party. An example of the results appears in
this forum.
Mr Maloney isn't a media virgin, so he must have been aware of the impact his comments would make, which of course suggests that they are deliberate. And if they are deliberate, who are they aimed at? And why did he want to alienate up to 10% of the electorate in just one comment?
On the other hand, the comments aren't particularly negative or hurtful. He is simply expressing his views, and perhaps we are just too sensitive to the slightest hint of anything that isn't politically correct.
There are a couple more articles that reference this issue in the
Telegraph and
Gay.com and
Mr Maloney's own website features a complete copy of the BBC page, including the refrences to him as a dangerous extremist....
From the party's point of view, I suppose that his comments are damaging and unhelpful; offending minority groups is hardly a vote-winning strategy.