Posted on 06/09/2017 6:24:10 PM PDT by Ennis85
Ruth Davidson has been told by the prime minister that any Conservative deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will not affect LGBTI rights. The Scottish Conservative leader, who is gay, plans to marry her partner in the near future. The DUP opposes same-sex marriage, with Northern Ireland the only part of the UK where it is not legal. Ms Davidson said she had been given an assurance that gay rights would not be eroded in return for DUP support. In a tweet sent on Friday afternoon, Ms Davidson highlighted a speech she made in Belfast about the importance of equal marriage.
She told the BBC's Reporting Scotland programme that she had spoken about the issue with Theresa May on Friday evening. Ms Davidson said: "I was fairly straightforward with her and I told her that there were a number of things that count to me more than party. "One of them is country, one of the others is LGBTI rights." The Scottish Tory leader said she had asked for, and received, a "categoric assurance" from Mrs May that any arrangement between the Conservatives and the DUP would see "absolutely no rescission of LGBTI rights in the rest of the UK".
And she said the prime minister agreed to try to use her influence to advance LGBTI rights in Northern Ireland. Ms May, whose party lost its majority at Westminster in Thursday's general election, says she will put together a minority government with the support of the DUP to guide the UK through crucial Brexit talks. The DUP, which returned 10 MPs to Westminster, has garnered a reputation for its strong and controversial views on a number of social issues. It opposes same-sex marriage and is anti-abortion - with abortion remaining illegal in Northern Ireland, except in specific medical cases.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
The conservatives should be so blessed to have DUP as coalition partners. DUP could maybe influence a few conservatives, but I doubt it. Let’s see how long it lasts.
“strong and controversial views on a number of social issues. It opposes same-sex marriage and is anti-abortion - with abortion remaining illegal in Northern Ireland, except in specific medical cases.”
Wow, have we slid down a long way or not. This is what is called controversial now.
The DUP is more committed to Brexit than a lot of Tories are.
They can keep Theresa May in line on Brexit in case she’s secretly trying to find a way to squirm out.
And I strongly suspect she is.
Your distant cousin was leader before this d*ke, right?
If she was in Parliament she’d be a frontrunner for the next leadership election.
She wants the Scottish party to have autonomy.
Apparently so.
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