A gay, former UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate who has previously lashed out at the party’s leader Nigel Farage has resigned after the party appointed a devout Christian as local election candidate, according to party sources.
Richard Hendron, who was previously rebuffed from becoming one of UKIP’s London Assembly candidates, has now quit the party after executive committee members refused to bow to pressure from the party’s LGBT group to remove Alan Craig as an approved UKIP candidate.
According to PinkNews, UKIP appointed Mr. Craig for the Greater London Authority “super constituency” at a hustings on Friday evening. Craig – a devout Christian – has been an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, and was pursued by LGBT activists for saying that ordinary people need to “Confront the Gaystapo” and stop appeasing victimhood lobbies.
The “Gaystapo”, he wrote: “want to change our language, manipulate our culture and thereby impose their world-view on us all. Cultural domination is their aim and fascist-type intolerance of politically-incorrect dissent is their weapon.”
Adding: “For Christians, the season of appeasement, fear and cowering in the corner is over. ‘Whom shall I send,’ said the Lord, ‘and who will go for us?’ Now is the time for people of courage to rise up and defend marriage, our children and the very foundations of our civilisation.”
Upon losing the selection, Mr. Hendron resigned.
He later wrote to the party stating: “It has become clear to me that UKIP is anything but a libertarian party. It is a party dominated and controlled by white middle-aged heterosexual men who do not believe in libertarian values, equality or valuing difference. It’s a party that’s becoming even more small minded, a party that goes out of its way to maintain the status quo, a party that at best tolerates Gays rather than accepts them, a party that attacks difference and undermines equality.”
The letter concludes: “I have tried my hardest to fight for the party and LGBT issues but I have been met with a barrage of resistance at all levels. UKIP is not really interested in equality, the LGBT group do nothing other than tick a box for the party, they do not push for change in the party or support LGBT activists who are trying to make a change, they even refused my application to join the LGBT group stating that being gay and in UKIP does not automatically qualify you for membership of LGBT in UKIP.”
In August 2015, Breitbart London asked Mr. Hendron about criticism of him from within the party, specifically that he was a single-issue campaigner solely concerned with planting the LGBT agenda within UKIP. He replied: “Yes it is correct that I have championed and pushed LGBT issues more than anyone else within UKIP, standing up to the party on a number of occasions, but this has been to the benefit of both UKIP and the LGBT community.”
A Change.org petition attracting a paltry 129 signatures has also emerged, demanding that Mr. Craig is thrown out of the party for his Christian values. The petition was supported by UKIP’s Deputy Chairman Suzanne Evans, who wrote on Twitter: “Now up to 79 and that includes me. Alan Craig’s views have no place in UKIP.”
Now up to 79 and that includes me. Alan Craig's views have no place in @UKIP. https://t.co/vZgsi2Otf6
— Suzanne Evans (@SuzanneEvans1) February 7, 2016
But even gay members of UKIP have struck back at Mr. Hendron, with one posting to Facebook earlier: “…Richard is better suited to the Tories, where PC LGBT zealots have a lot of sway.
“He fails to mention in his resignation that any ‘discrimination’ against him has been because he’s openly insulted the party and it’s leader, caused a great deal of trouble within the LGBT group by going ahead with things without their approval (or with their explicit disapproval) as well as trying to set up an LGBT candidates fund without their say so (for what seems like only his benefit), nearly having Thatcher in drag at Pride and organising a ‘Nigel and his Minions’ [H]allowe’en party. Notwithstanding this, he also, or so I’ve been told, supports a 3rd runway [at Heathrow], which is partly why chairmen in his area didn’t want him.
“If we take political correctness to imply that certain perceived ‘oppressed’ groups should receive special treatment, LGBT people are expected to receive that treatment. Since UKIP doesn’t subscribe to Political Correctness, it doesn’t discriminate against LGBT people, but nor does it believe or act in a way which treats them as special or deserving of token elevation above their merit. A person’s sexuality is treated as irrelevant as their colour or gender. However Richard has played the LGBT-card all his life, and is surprised because here is a party where, thankfully, that doesn’t work.
“I happen to seriously disagree with Alan Craig’s view on gay-cure. I also despise the type of Evangelical Christianity to which he ascribes. But we are a party which respects conscience in that great British tradition of showing that respect from the time of Elizabeth I, when she declared she did not wish to see into the souls of men, and we are a party which upholds our Judeo-Christian principles, namely that of Man as a Moral Agent, made in God’s Image, born with Free Will, and able to reasonably pursue his own destiny.
“Therefore, as a gay man, I have no problem with him standing. This is partly because I feel it’s distasteful banning people who I disagree with, and also because I grew up and stopped demanding, and needing, validation from others for my sexual persuasion a long time ago. Others would do well to do the same.”
Mr. Hendron has immediately started retweeting “SLATUKIP” – a known anti-UKIP Twitter profile that ceaselessly tweets at UKIP followers and members. The Twitter account has been suspended a number of times in the last few months amidst allegations that it is “buying” Twitter followers.
UPDATE: Breitbart London understands that Mr. Hendron got just two votes at the Friday selection hustings. One of those being his own.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.