Exclusive: UKIP leader Nigel Farage agrees to take part in PinkNews Q&A

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

The leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, has agreed for the first time to participate in a question and answer session with PinkNews.co.uk readers ahead of May’s European election.

PinkNews.co.uk takes a non-partisan stance with regard to the election. Leaders of the UK’s other political parties have also been invited to answer questions from PinkNews.co.uk readers.

Along with a chance to grill the leaders on their LGBT credentials and policies, readers can also ask a wide range of questions related to politics and matters important to them.

Unlike most other UK political parties, UKIP is officially opposed to equal marriage and only supports civil partnerships.

Nigel Farage has been in the news today after he accused the media of unfairly highlighting the views of one of his councillors who claimed that allowing gay couples to marry would lead to flooding and that David Cameron ignored his warning.

In a letter to his local paper, David Silvester said he had warned the PM the legislation would result in “disaster”.

He said Mr Cameron had acted “arrogantly against the Gospel”.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Farage said: “I think it is very interesting that, when Mr Silvester was saying these things in 2012 and 2013 as a Conservative town councillor in Henley, it was not a news story.

“But suddenly he switches to UKIP and continues the same thing and gets on the national news.

“The establishment, the status quo, the big businesses, the big Eurocrats and our three so-called main political parties are scared witless by what UKIP is doing because we are striking a chord not just for ordinary people but for many elements in the business community as well.

“They will try to do whatever they can to shoot us down.”

In contrast to Mr Farage’s claims, PinkNews reported on Mr Silvester’s anti-gay remarks when he was a Tory councillor in February 2013.

In December 2012, PinkNews also reported how Mr Silvester had written a letter to David Cameron invoking the PM’s Christian faith as a reason why he should abandon plans to introduce equal marriage.

A poll released on 26 December 2013 by PinkNews readers found that LGBT voters are most wary of UKIP.

The poll also showed a rise in support for both Labour and the Conservative Party since 2010 at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

 

 

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