UKIP’s David Coburn flops in Falkirk
UKIP’s gay Scottish leader David Coburn has monumentally failed in the constituency of Falkirk – losing his deposit and coming behind the SNP, Labour and even the Conservatives.
The UK Independence Party’s most senior openly gay politician, who has repeatedly caused controversy with offensive remarks, lost out to the SNP’s John McNally, who picked up the seat from former Labour politician Eric Joyce.
Coburn recieved 1829 votes – below Mr McNally on 34, 831, Labour candidate Karen Whitefield on 15,130, and Tory Alison Harris on 7,325.
The seat was previously safe Labour territory, with the party’s 15-point lead over the SNP in 2010 completely obliterated.
Earlier this year Mr Coburn shrugged off calls to resign after comparing Muslim SNP minister Humza Yousaf to convicted terrorist Abu Hamza – leading SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon to brand him a “disgrace”.
Mr Coburn rarely holds back while discussing political rivals – previously branding Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson a “fat lesbian”, branding Ed Miliband an a***hole” and comparing then-SNP leader Alex Salmond to dictator Robert Mugabe.
Despite being gay, the UKIP MEP is a fierce critic of the gay rights movement, claiming that same-sex marriage supporters are “equality Nazis” – and that the Lib Dems and Labour want to ban him from having sex.
UKIP is the only one of the main UK-wide parties to have pledged an anti-LGBT policy, with the party’s Christian Manifesto – which was not released to the press – calling for a ‘conscience’ law to weaken equality legislation, and accommodate the beliefs of people who oppose gay rights.
Mr Coburn remains as a UKIP MEP.
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