Fwd: [LA-F] Ken Livingstone in Tory 'riddled with homosexuals' row

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8 February 2012 Last updated at 19:20

Ken Livingstone in Tory 'riddled with homosexuals' row

</mail/u/0/s/?view=att&th=1355ebe03ccd08da&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&zw> Ken Livingstone also said Baroness Thatcher was "clinically insane" while prime minister

Conservative MPs have called for Labour's candidate for London mayor to apologise for saying their party is "riddled" with homosexuals.

Ken Livingstone said some Tory MPs denounce homosexuality, while secretly "indulging".

Two Tory MPs have written to Labour leader Ed Miliband calling on him to ensure the remarks get retracted.

Mr Livingstone's spokesman said the fact gay people represent most parties is a good thing.

Discussing the issue of privacy in during an interview in the New Statesmen magazine, Mr Livingstone said: "[The public] should be allowed to know everything, except the nature of private relationships - unless there is hypocrisy, like some Tory MP denouncing homosexuality while they are indulging in it."

Asked why he referred particularly to Conservative MPs, he added: "Well, the Labour ones have all come out.

"As soon as [former Prime Minister Tony] Blair got in, if you came out as lesbian or gay you immediately got a job. It was wonderful.

"You just knew the Tory party was riddled with it like everywhere else is."

'Offensive remarks'

He also said in the interview that Baroness Thatcher was "clinically insane" while prime minister.

Conservative MP Angie Bray said: "These are the sort of offensive remarks we hear all too often from Labour's candidate for mayor.

"Ed Miliband should condemn these outrageous comments and get him to apologise immediately."

A spokesperson for Ken Livingstone said: "Ken is clearly saying the advance of lesbian and gay people into politics is unequivocally a good thing.

"He has fought for equality for gay and lesbian people throughout his life, and the fact they are represented in all major political parties is a sign of the progress that has been made."

In an interview with the same magazine, current mayor Boris Johnson said his proudest boast was to have "delivered a sound, progressive administration of London over the last four years, which has cut tax and cut crime".

Mr Livingstone said that, if elected, he would restore 1,700 police jobs and cut public transport fares.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16955851

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