"My estimate is that about a tenth of Members of Parliament swing the same way as Simon Hughes. Since his enforced outing in the Sun, accompanied by the gruesome tagline 'Another one bites the pillow', politicians of this persuasion will be even more reluctant to be honest about it. Some will worry how to tell their families. Others will be unsure how it will be treated by the media and received by the voters even in supposedly more enlightened times. After so many horrible headlines and cackling ridicule directed at politicians of this orientation, it will be a brave Member of Parliament who is prepared to declare himself glad to be Liberal Democrat."
I tend to disgree with AR. Some commentators seem to think that all Sun-readers agree with everything the paper says, or that the paper is just echoing its readers' views. While that is often the case, a large number of its readers disagree with some or many of the sentiments expressed. The issue of gay MPs is a case in point. For many readers this is an issue of little or no importance.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more, the paper should be taken to task for pandering to base prejudices in this way, and complaints should be made to the editor and the PCC.
Personally I felt that the Sun's headline of "Another limp-dem confesses" was just plain disgusting. The way that paper treated Hughes throughout the report was highly distasteful and I'd say that I'd not be keen to reveal my sexuality if I was gay or bisexual if that was the treatment that would be meted out to me.
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