UKIP Mayoral candidate Frank Maloney has hit back at claims that he’s homophobic.
After a day of attacks and calls for him to stand down as a candidate he has released the following statement:
“Gay Conservatives have no sense of humour. I said those comments as a joke, the original article from the Ham & High newspaper was quite good.
The Gay Conservatives know as well as I do that there are already gay candidates standing for London Mayor and neither Norris nor I are likely to be voted for by gay people in the capital. I would like gay people to vote for me because they like my policies but we know that life aint like that.
I may not get many votes in Camden but I will be campaigning there and I am willing to meet with any groups when I visit.
“If making an off the cuff remark like that as a joke makes me homophobic then all I can say is that it is political correctness gone mad!
I will not be constrained by political correctness, I am not like the career politicians who are fake wanting to be everything to everyone and I am not going to apologise for saying that policemen holding hands at the gay parade is a bad idea.
Indeed many people will agree that it doesn’t give the police much respect and heterosexual police would be pulled up on it if they did the same. I am from the boxing world, we are not a very politically correct bunch of people but we all get on well”
Responding to calls for him to stand down Mr Maloney said:
“Of course not. The Gay Conservatives accuse me of being a danger to London and that is ridiculous. The Conservatives are desperate to get elected and they want the gay vote really badly.
Norris is more of a danger to London being the Chairman of Jarvis than I am saying a joke. London is the most diverse capital in the world and I don’t have a problem with homosexuals whatsoever. I don’t happen to agree with gay marriage or adoption by same sex couples but that is a matter to be discussed in open debate. This is what free speech is there for.
I shouldn’t be dismissed as homophobic for simply speaking my mind.”
