tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post2225069877878648873..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: Crispin Blunt Comes OutIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-88231658238028712012010-09-01T07:17:40.172+01:002010-09-01T07:17:40.172+01:00@The Purpleline: The "common people" yo...@The Purpleline: The "common people" you're so fond of speaking for also, I submit, know what unhappy marriages are like -- and how often you hope things will change for the better without washing your dirty linen in public.<br /><br />Meanwhile, if the good electors of Reigate share you disdain for Blunt then they're perfectly free to try and deselect him (if they're Conservative Party members), or vote for another party's candidate. I believe that's still how elections work in the United Kingdom.Craig Ranapiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923246310584658857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-64469859718482481112010-09-01T07:10:38.566+01:002010-09-01T07:10:38.566+01:00@Goodwin:
Not at all, if today's rather feebl...@Goodwin:<br /><br />Not at all, if today's rather feeble effort in The Telegraph is any indication:<br /><br /><i>The Foreign Secretary took the extraordinary step of issuing a statement about his links to Chris Myers, one of his special advisers, after a well-known political blogger claimed the pair had spent the night together in a hotel room during the election campaign. </i><br /><br />Hey, Guido, you fag-baiting idiot: I "shared a room" with between 25 and 32 virile, strapping young lads for five years. It was called boarding school, and contrary to popular opinion the never-ending homoerotic ferment didn't even come up to a slow simmer. Worse luck.Craig Ranapiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923246310584658857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-23042078677993060572010-08-31T16:50:00.378+01:002010-08-31T16:50:00.378+01:00Wee Willy Hague is next?Wee Willy Hague is next?Goodwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16622335283524262832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-71447183767990038802010-08-28T16:02:57.299+01:002010-08-28T16:02:57.299+01:00Much better to 'live a lie' than to break ...Much better to 'live a lie' than to break ones vows - especially marriage vows which involve commitments to other people.Pilgrimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02738646945588378814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-43654724166221616292010-08-28T13:35:40.078+01:002010-08-28T13:35:40.078+01:00@Treacle - all the best, man.@Treacle - all the best, man.Dick the Prickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02683095612320513712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-66529692915016770532010-08-28T12:11:43.310+01:002010-08-28T12:11:43.310+01:00Minnie the Minx said...
"The fact that he'...Minnie the Minx said...<br />"The fact that he's gay is not an issue. The fact that gays are massively over-represented in parliament is."<br /><br />I was interested by this, so decided to do some research. Immediately after the election, there were 10 openly gay Conservative MPs*, 8 openly gay Labour MPs**, and 2 openly gay or bisexual Liberal Democrat MPs***. <br /><br />This gives a total of 20. Crispin Blunt and David Laws make it 22. <br /><br />There are currently 650 members of the House of Commons. This means that just under 3.4% of the members of the House of Commons are openly gay or bisexual. I don't know how many people in Britain are gay, but it's often said that around 5% of them are. If so, there are either just enough or slightly too few gay MPs in parliament. They are not 'massively over-represented'. <br /><br /><br />*Alan Duncan, Greg Barker, Nick Herbert, Stuart Andrew, Nick Boles, Mike Freer, Margot James, Iain Stewart, Conor Burns, Eric Ollerenshaw. <br /><br />**Clive Betts, Ben Bradshaw, Nick Brown, Chris Bryant, David Cairns, <br />Angela Eagle, Gordon Marsden, Stephen Twigg.<br /><br />***Simon Hughes, Stephen Williams.Lord Palmerstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110646627638591271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-9422341798129174602010-08-28T11:28:54.043+01:002010-08-28T11:28:54.043+01:00There's a double entendre in this somewhere ab...There's a double entendre in this somewhere about Peter Mandelson enjoying a Schnitzel in the Gay Hussar.Wrinkled Weaselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-18775103392998696782010-08-28T10:23:02.465+01:002010-08-28T10:23:02.465+01:00@Steve H People take great store in the values the...@Steve H People take great store in the values the look of a candidate to see if there is any connection between them.<br /><br />It is not all about political ideals some element of likeability and empathy to the same situation as the voter must come into it.<br /><br />So, I think you are wrong misinformed about local party level and constituency politics.The Purplelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13824474829595685623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-80818038840513501202010-08-28T10:08:26.582+01:002010-08-28T10:08:26.582+01:00@Libertarian
What I am referring to is the fact ...@Libertarian <br /><br />What I am referring to is the fact he stood at a general election not more than 4 months ago on a ticket of a happily married man of 20 years .<br /><br />This was obviously a sham.<br /><br />He should have had the courage to come out before the election and stand in front of his local party to seek their approval to stand as a Tory at the election.<br /><br />The only way to normalise the situation is now it is acceptable, not illegal is for Gays to come out when seeking public office.<br /><br />In actual fact I think my gaydar is quite good except on spotting dick vans. I might publish a blog with a Gayometer grading all politicians as to how gay they are, in policy, voting, attitude,status of relationship, seen at.The Purplelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13824474829595685623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-88547227209933876082010-08-28T09:14:38.709+01:002010-08-28T09:14:38.709+01:00Perhaps in 20 years time we will have headlines li...Perhaps in 20 years time we will have headlines like "Tory MP outed as heterosexual".Victor, NW Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14778890471547456396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-3041401188825381012010-08-28T08:38:19.993+01:002010-08-28T08:38:19.993+01:00Courageous and sensitive post, Treacle! So is Iai...Courageous and sensitive post, Treacle! So is Iain's original one.<br /><br />If there is any lesson to be learned from this, it is that politicians should steer clear of promoting themselves on "the family ticket". Preferably no photos of wifey and family on literature or website unless they can look deep into their heart and say without equivocation that they ARE "happily married"!Sally Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992827580297765832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-50550344333061724742010-08-28T07:50:19.935+01:002010-08-28T07:50:19.935+01:00If we did not have the flaming church telling us f...If we did not have the flaming church telling us for 2000 years that sex was only for procreation within marriage and a host of other such bollocks, whose hand he had on his willy would not matter - as it does not. Huge numbers if marriages break up quite unnecessarily due to utter humbug about 'fidelity'; and the more common and vulgar the newspaper the more vile the hypocrisy.Glyn Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756226316614600769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-32366535295097982122010-08-28T00:06:41.665+01:002010-08-28T00:06:41.665+01:00Anyone whose vote would have been in the slightest...Anyone whose vote would have been in the slightest bit influenced by whether or not he was "a family man" deserves to be lied to.Steve Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15992098012803570361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-27683795197437979952010-08-27T23:28:43.876+01:002010-08-27T23:28:43.876+01:00more of the despeakable rotten elements of the mor...more of the despeakable rotten elements of the morally corrupt society...so evident in this page comments. people who think they are brilliant for accepting such de-basing behaviour attributes.gkims2007https://www.blogger.com/profile/09308894427448878966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-45384736517031561642010-08-27T23:25:18.208+01:002010-08-27T23:25:18.208+01:00big shame again to men and women who think they ar...big shame again to men and women who think they are brilliant for accepting what is below normal. how can a man think its within the confines of proper human behaviour to act in this manner. This are just creatures that burn with passion for what is totally out of order. Their associations with the people of like mind breeds the support of this dis-speakable behaviou....it won't belong in this country and the western world for paedophilia to be normal...it won't be long, with the numerous cases around and the liniency in judgements...the high profile from the west are already abusing children in other parts of the world...thailand, romania, africa etc..A person who's grown up and has been taught of moral relativity will certainly be washed away by this mess. you can approve of it or not..but its likely most commentators are gay and gay sympathisers, and the blog author thinks its clever to twitch the appearance of the comments..no one is fooled.gkims2007https://www.blogger.com/profile/09308894427448878966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-5328605418968307812010-08-27T22:20:57.777+01:002010-08-27T22:20:57.777+01:00So what. Those days have passed. The only story is...So what. Those days have passed. The only story is the gay people jumping up and down still trying to get attention and play the victim. <br /><br />A straight bloke pretending they're gay mightbe more interesting.javelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685858339910528013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-88189198587933941272010-08-27T21:53:00.846+01:002010-08-27T21:53:00.846+01:00Er, how many straight men are called "Crispin...Er, how many straight men are called "Crispin"? I blame his parents.lilithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05011676751221508167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-63348792163239887472010-08-27T20:55:02.273+01:002010-08-27T20:55:02.273+01:00Crispin Blunt's Voting Record on Gay issues is...Crispin Blunt's Voting Record on Gay issues is not good.<br /><br />Hypocrite ?<br /><br />http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpid=40496&dmp=826Nich Starlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04237390959601973501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-66432678870009542582010-08-27T20:54:58.729+01:002010-08-27T20:54:58.729+01:00Perhaps his wife already knew?
I couldn't car...Perhaps his wife already knew?<br /><br />I couldn't care less about Blunt's sexual preferences, but I feel for his family. These days, being gay is not a blackmailable issue, so it shouldn't affect his political life<br /><br />But I am curious as to why there are such large numbers of gays in politics. It appears (to me) to be disproportionate.<br /><br />Maybe you have some insight into this, Iain?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-65105919852896543252010-08-27T20:24:38.200+01:002010-08-27T20:24:38.200+01:00Like Iain, who is about the same as me, I’ve been ...Like Iain, who is about the same as me, I’ve been there too. Remote rural upbringing in the 60s and 70s (universal denigration of “queers” in formative years), remote rural boarding schools, university, no girlfriends or boyfriends, not obviously gay, never married, unable to tell anyone I was gay until after the death of my mother in my 30s, and finally came out when I got to the point when I felt unable to carry on living. My plan had been to get through my whole life without anyone ever knowing. I only got half way.<br /><br />When I came out, my father’s reaction was “Thank God your mother is dead.” He was right about that. He then became obsessed with the mechanics of gay sex. Not only had I never had sex myself, I had never so much as hugged another person in my life. I lost many of my friends (I had tended to associate with people who were themselves repressed, though not gay). One denounced me as sinful. To this day I still feel guilty and foolish at not having said anything for so long, and I particularly can’t face the gay people I had known but had not come out to. I don't think I will ever have a full relationship. The years when I would most natually have found someone were my 20s, when the self-denying ordinance was in place. It is difficult even for straight people to find a partner in middle age.<br /><br />There is no way someone who is not both gay and over 40 could possibly understand what that experience does to you. People who say “But it’s OK to be gay these days” are missing the point. You have been formed at a time when it wasn’t OK, and that experience (whether gay people will admit it or not) does permanent damage. Crispin Blunt will have years of adjusting to do, to overcome the damage that has been done to him. He will blame himself, particularly as he has been married. But it isn’t his fault. For once, society really is to blame.<br /><br />Iain is right when he says that the longer you are in the closet, the more difficult it is to come out. It’s relatively easy for gay teenagers to come out today. Much more difficult for men in their fifties. And men in their sixties and seventies conclude that freedom came too late for them. At their time of life, it is even harder to come out, and they conclude that it just isn’t worth it. When you think of the gay people you know, and wonder why they tend to be relatively young, that is the reason why. There are just as many old gay people as younger ones; but they have considered the time they have left and made their calculation.Treaclehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122500029194856865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-55159739362337044152010-08-27T19:56:27.763+01:002010-08-27T19:56:27.763+01:00Oh Lord - what must Cripsin Blunt have been thinki...Oh Lord - what must Cripsin Blunt have been thinking when he read this in The Guardian in 2002? For people saying he should have come out earlier, yes that's easy to say - but just imagine what must have been going through his mind when he read this...<br /><br /><br />The Conservative party's leadership may have been supportive of Alan Duncan but at grassroots level yesterday there was bewilderment and anger.<br />In the true blue Surrey town of Reigate, for instance, many Tories had harsh words for Mr Duncan and said they would not be happy to have an openly gay MP represent them.<br /><br />Tony Collinson, chairman of the 1,400-strong Reigate Conservative Association, led the chorus of disapproval.<br /><br />"I would not be happy if we had a gay candidate here - I would always go for a candidate who had a normal background," he said. "Our current MP [Conservative Crispin Blunt; majority 8,000] is happily married with two children."<br /><br />He added that he thought Mr Duncan's announcement would "shock" a lot of people, especially older ones.<br /><br />Many thought Mr Duncan should have kept quiet.<br /><br />Association member Priscilla Rhodes said: "He should not have said it. He should have been gay and that's it. They all seem to have to come out - it's ridiculous. People know who they are, most men recognise who they are. I think it's drawing attention to yourself."<br /><br />Another member of the association, retired surveyor Colin Vaughan, 55, said: "I come from an older generation where this sort of thing was deemed unspeakable. I think people will see it as unfortunate."<br /><br />Conservative voter John Andrew, 75, a retired chemist, said: "If he's practising then it's unacceptable. If he's non-practising he's made a mistake in bringing it up. The Conservatives must have more people around that they can choose from to be MPs."philfleethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15180963677845611307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-18576300923071541972010-08-27T19:56:08.824+01:002010-08-27T19:56:08.824+01:00'He ran on the ticket as a family man'? H...'He ran on the ticket as a family man'? He was a family man - a wife and children. He still will have his children.<br /><br />We and you have no knowledge of anything else. I certainly have no idea how his sexuality was affecting him.<br /><br />The plain fact is that if there is one subject which no one should risk pontificating and moralising on - its sex. Its ripe for turning hypocrites of all of us.<br /><br />We are told no one else is involved. i guess we take that at face value, but I wonder if there have been homosexual relationships, just where we stand on the question of infidelity where it involves someone torn by sexuality rather than sex. In any case infidelity did not cost Paddy Ashdown his job or Robin Cook his, or Lloyd George his for that matter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-82287369560648534382010-08-27T19:11:14.374+01:002010-08-27T19:11:14.374+01:00Another good reason to reprint Ian Harvey's bo...Another good reason to reprint Ian Harvey's book which I have just read...and it is well worth readingphilfleethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15180963677845611307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-71928074393072566152010-08-27T19:09:41.287+01:002010-08-27T19:09:41.287+01:00He was campaigning with Philippa Stroud in Sutton ...He was campaigning with Philippa Stroud in Sutton prior to the election. Which paper will put the two news items together first? ;)Dick Puddlecotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01481866882188932892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-77042725010305255822010-08-27T18:35:28.060+01:002010-08-27T18:35:28.060+01:00I have no interest one way or the other in the sex...I have no interest one way or the other in the sexuality of politicians, or others. It is private business. Gay is fine. Hetero is fine. No problem.<br /><br />But in asking for loyalty or sympathy for such a matter as sexual orientation, I would demand first that the person requiring such support, should be able to demonstrate that they were loyal to their party. <br /><br />I see that Blunt was disloyal. I really have no interest in his private life. But in his public life, in my opinion, he was an abject failure, and we could have well done without him. <br /><br />Why emphasise his sexuality, when it was his serial disloyalty which mattered as far as his job was concerned.Tapestryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17267094484651413428noreply@blogger.com