Nigel Farage appears to U-turn again on same-sex marriage

UKIP seemed to have found itself in a bit of a pickle this week, as an apparent breakdown in internal communication led to seemingly unapproved words from Nigel Farage being sent out to the media.

Mr Farage appeared to U-turn again on same-sex marriage, as he has denied that answers to a PinkNews Q&A attributed to him by an official UKIP spokesman were actually his words.

Among Mr Farage’s apparent responses to a readers’ Q&A sent to PinkNews by Mr Farage’s official spokesperson yesterday, was the assertion that he would not campaign to abolish same-sex marriages, and that he would seek the augmentation of civil marriage and civil partnerships, with religious ceremonies as optional.

The answers sent to PinkNews appeared to show that Mr Farage had stating that the party was reviewing all of its policies including its previously stated opposition to same-sex marriage.

In a statement on the UKIP website today, Mr Farage said: “The statement attributed to me yesterday was not made by me and not approved by me. It was a draft by a staff member that should never have been sent out.

On the release of the answers to the mainstream media, a spokesperson was also contacted directly by the Press Association and asked to confirm details and send full quotes, which they did.

The spokesperson today told PinkNews that the answers to the Q&A were completed by the UKIP press office, and that it had been assumed that Mr Farage had cleared them for release, which the UKIP leader now denies.

PinkNews founder Benjamin Cohen said: ”Nigel Farage’s answers to PinkNews reader questions were provided to us by his official spokesperson. The responses were even sent by this spokesperson to external media who requested it after PinkNews first published the feature. I note though that in his statement today, Mr Farage does not comment on whether he will be campaigning to take away the marriages of gay couples at the next election.”

In today’s statement on the party’s website, Mr Farage continued: “UKIP’s objection to same sex marriage was two-fold. First, we did not think it should have been made a political priority at a time of many other pressing issues and pointed out that the measure had no mandate from the electorate.

“Secondly we were concerned that because of the role of the European Court of Human Rights in British law that faith communities which had strong objections were at risk of being forced to conduct gay marriages.

“There is an ongoing debate within UKIP about how we can protect faith communities from ultimately being compelled to conduct same sex marriages against their beliefs and their will. We note that some gay rights activists are already talking about taking legal action in Strasbourg to force this issue.”

Some have questioned why this sudden change of position came the day before the budget was to be announced, asking whether it was a tactic to avoid media attention.

Sceptical politicians from the Conservative Party and Lib Dems yesterday may have been proven right in questioning the motives of the Q&A answers attributed to Mr Farage, as Tory vice chair Michael Fabricant, Tory MP Mike Freer and Lib Dem peer all questioned the motives behind the answers.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/03/19/nigel-farage-appears-to-u-turn-again-on-same-sex-marriage/


  .....Oh dear.

There's already a thread about this - started by you.

Raggamuffin wrote:There's already a thread about this - started by you.

This is an update, he U turned again, learn to read you stupid woman.

Catman wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:There's already a thread about this - started by you.

This is an update, he U turned again, learn to read you stupid woman.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Who cares?

Raggamuffin wrote:

Catman wrote:

This is an update, he U turned again, learn to read you stupid woman.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Who cares?

If the news story doesn't interest you, then you don't have to click on the link!   

When will you ever learn that you don't run the show here!

UKIP Wales added to the confusion over the party’s policy regarding same-sex marriage, by saying it agreed with a policy opposing it, but gave totally different reasons to explain its opposition.

In an apparent breakdown in internal communication this week, PinkNews received andswers to a readers’ Q&A confirmed by an official spokesman to have been approved by Nigel Farage which stated that the party was reviewing all of its policies including its previously stated opposition to same-sex marriage.

One day later, Mr Farage released a statement reiterating the party’s opposition to same-sex marriage, saying: “UKIP’s objection to same sex marriage was two-fold. First, we did not think it should have been made a political priority at a time of many other pressing issues and pointed out that the measure had no mandate from the electorate.

“Secondly we were concerned that because of the role of the European Court of Human Rights in British law that faith communities which had strong objections were at risk of being forced to conduct gay marriages.”

In response, UKIP Wales appeared to get its wires crossed, as it re-published Mr Farage’s statement on its own website, along with the claim that the policy was based on moral purposes, rather than for legal reasons. The statement also made a disproven claim that children of opposite-sex parents do better than those of same-sex couples.

In one version of the page, posted originally on LeftFootForward the statement said: “UKIP Wales wholeheartedly supports the UKIP policy regarding same sex marriage, that it is not the right of government to define marriage, and that marriage is between a man and a woman for the procreation of children, and to provide a balanced and stable environment for those children.”

In another, it read: “Warwick Nicholson, Chairman of UKIP Wales, reiterated our policy, that: ‘No government has the right to redifine marriage. Marriage is constituted for the union of man and woman, for the procreation of children, and remains the most stable way for children to be raised, and should be supported and protected by government.’”

Sceptical politicians from the Conservative Party and Lib Dems on Tuesday may have been proven right in questioning the motives of the Q&A answers attributed to Mr Farage, as Tory vice chair Michael Fabricant, Tory MP Mike Freer and Lib Dem peer all asked what were the motives behind the answers.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/03/20/ukip-wales-adds-gay-marriage-confusion/