Tim Yeo: My vote for gay marriage contributed to my deselection as Tory MP

  

Former Conservative minister, Tim Yeo has blamed opposition within his constituency for same-sex marriage for his deselection as the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for South Suffolk.

Mr Yeo, who has been the MP for the constituency since 1983, was deselected after a vote by all Conservative members of his local association. The news follows a sting last year by the Sunday Times, where Mr Yeo, who is the Chairman of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Select Committee, offered to lobby on behalf of a fictitious energy company for £7,000 a day. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing by the Parliamentary authorities.

Today, following his deselection, Mr Yeo appeared to put some of the blame on his support for same-sex marriage.

“Clearly there were some issues on which I may have had disagreements with them,” he said. “I voted in favour of gay marriage – that wasn’t a universally held view amongst my members.

“I have a very great commitment to addressing climate change – that’s not a universally held view.

“I’m in favour of Britain’s membership of the EU – that’s not a universally held view.”

The MP faced criticism from within his constituency that he spent little time in the area.

Last week, fellow Conservative MP Anne McIntosh was deselected as the Conservative candidate for Thirsk and Malton. She faced similar criticism over the amount of time she spent in the constituency, but unlike Mr Yeo, she has one of the worst gay rights voting records in Parliament.

The MP voted against same-sex marriage, civil partnerships, gay adoption, lesbian fertility rights and anti-discrimination measures to protect gay people in the provision of goods and services.

Mr Yeo voted against an equal age of consent but was absent for other key gay rights votes including civil partnerships.

No....You are a Tory scum, embarrassing RW scumbag!

You were deselected for that...Go join UKIP!

  

I hate to disagree Phil, but that simply isn't the case. Tim Yeo was my MP since I moved and the Conservatives have been sending out their newsletter, and it was his lobbying antics that annoyed them the most, followed by the fact he was never seen in the constituency. He compounded the felony by coming down two weeks ago to an open meeting and lecturing people as if the were serfs and he was the Lord of the Manor. People around here, even Conservatives, don't stand for that and he was finished from that day.

For once I agree with sassy he is the type of bloke that gives the Tories a bad name.

Good riddance. I worked for the Tory party for decades. I remember once the local committee of blue rinsers appointing some stuck up areshole much against the wishes of the rank and file. They told us to get lost. We did and worked in the adjoing constituency for a really decent bloke standing for the Tories.
The arsehole in my constituency lost big style as the blue rinsers didnt do work (something you will have sympathy with.) Without the workers in a marginal he was goosed. That seat was taken by the Liberals I think they still have it. The adjoining constituency is still Tory.

Contrary to your two views not all Tories are stuck up tw-ts but I think Yeo was well up his own arse.