No Doubt?

Here is Dr. Wollaston's reply, recieved Sunday 18th April:
Dear Mr Harrison


Here is my reply to your posting on my website:


"There is no doubt that the Conservative Party has changed, and that includes its attitude to gay rights. David Cameron has supported civil partnerships and the Equality Bill – and apologised for Section 28 during the 1980s.


"I will repeat my exact words at the Totnes Hustings..and you are welcome to check at 49 minutes into the recording; ’I would not have joined the Conservative Party if I was not convinced that it was fully committed to equal rights’...‘ I would never have signed up to a Party that was homophobic’.


"We have three openly gay members of the Conservative front bench, and many more in the wider party. Does Mr Harrison presume that they would be in the Conservative Party if it were homophobic? If only Mr Harrison were to get his facts straight, he would recognise that I am actually on the same side! Perhaps he will even have the decency to withdraw his offensive remarks, but I am not holding my breath.


"I was honest with the audience that I am not an expert on Polish political parties, and I feel that most people prefer honesty to bluster. As to the specific questions raised, I do not support the banning of gay pride marches. The Conservatives joined the ECR grouping in order to stop the slide towards federalism. I completely reject any suggestion that this supported homophobia."


Sarah Wollaston


Here is my reply to her:

There are strong doubts in people's minds about whether the Tories have changed their attitude to gay rights.


The LGBTory founder recently stated she'll vote Labour due to Chris Grayling's B7B remarks. This points to discomfort with the Tory rank and file attitude to gay rights:


"I became disillusioned after meeting one too many people in that party who were not like what the leader was saying the party was about. If you make a comment like [those made by Mr Grayling], you should be out. This isn't a question of party lines – it is disgusting. I don't like doing this to Mr Cameron. I like him, but the insides of his party are not what the people are led to believe."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/apr/08/chrisgrayling-gay-rights


The cover-up over the internal report about Law and Justice,[ http://bit.ly/Toryreport ] which Woolaston has not addressed, is a major issue for me.

Also, crucial to all of this is MEP Edward McMillian-Scott. He was expelled from the Tories after standing against Law and Justice's Kaminski.
Extract: "The row over McMillan-Scott blew up last year when he stood as vice-president of the European parliament against Kaminski, who was Hague's choice."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/mar/14/tory-euro-attack-mcmillan-scott


Explaining his reasons for joining the Lib Dems, Edward McMillian-Scott says:"I have also tried to reach an amicable political solution at all levels within the party, to face a stone wall. It culminated in a letter last weekend from the party which my lawyers, Russell Jones and Walker – the best in their field – say makes clear that David Cameron has no intention of giving me a fair hearing, scheduled for next Thursday. My lawyers say my expulsion was unconstitutional, disproportionate and against natural justice. So I have withdrawn from that process and resigned from the party."
[...]
"It was wrong of Cameron to associate with MEPs who have extremist pasts in his new European alliance. Next Tuesday, his associates in Latvia will no doubt join, as usual, in commemoration of the role of the Waffen SS during the war. His partners in Poland will continue to voice their opinions on the vile anti-Semitic Radio Maryja and preach homophobia. Cameron says he is against extremism at home, yet he encourages it in Europe. I fear that many Conservatives want to leave Europe, not lead in Europe. Instead of challenging that from within I look forward to doing so from another political base."
Source: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/opinion/Edward-McMillanScott-After-my-unjust.6148963.jp?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter


Regarding Law and Justice, he writes:

"No doubt my successful stand for re-election last July as European parliament vice-president against the "official" candidate from Poland's Law and Justice party, Michal Kaminski, put forward by Cameron's controversial new group, caused him some discomfiture. But the campaign of vilification against me when I explained my reasons – that Kaminski had a recent antisemitic, homophobic and racist past – was so bizarre that it began to attract attention.

Indeed, Toby Helm in this newspaper was the most attentive. He had been present at the national commemoration in July 2001 of one of the most notorious massacres of the second world war in Nazi-occupied Poland. At Jedwabne in July 1941, more than 400 Jews were rounded up by their Polish neighbours and herded into a barn where they were burned.

At the time of the apology, Kaminski was the local MP and he made it his business to organise opposition to the commemoration. He denies this now, as he denies so much else of his easily discovered past, using the Nick Griffin defence: "If I said it then, I would not say it today."

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/mar/14/edward-mcmillan-scott-tories-euroscepticism

Taking these issues into account, Dr. Wollaston's statement that "There is no doubt that the Conservative Party has changed, and that includes its attitude to gay rights." is simply not true.

If Dr. Wollaston thinks there is "no doubt" that the conservatives have changed, she must answer these questions:
Why was the investigation into the party's allignment to Law and Justice launched?
Why was the investigation covered up?
Why was Edward McMillian-Scott MEP expelled from the party without notice or reason?
Dr. Wollaston also needs to explain what "the slide towards federalism" means.

There are serious doubts about the Tory's support of Law and Justice, and an MEP that dared defy the party line was expelled "without notice or reason" [ http://www.emcmillanscott.com/8.html ]

Rather than attack me, she should research her own party's nefarious bullying tactics and consider whether she can continue as the Conservative PPC for Totnes.

Name and address supplied.