Iain Dale: For Tories Anyone Will Do, Except Homophobes

It may be that Iain Dale was not actually responsible for the deeply worrying headline above this clunky thunk piece in the Independent on Sunday. The title? "Tory Bedfellows Can Be Anyone Except Homophobes". Anyone? Anyone?? Anyone???

So, so long as they are relaxed about homosexuality Tory bedfellows can be racists? And anti-semites? And paedophiles? And misogynists? And mass murderers? And rip off merchants? And fascists? And warmongers? So long as they are not homophobes? Is that it?

Here's what I wrote in a comment at the Indy:

Apart from the worrying headline which may not be Mr Dale's own choice - anyone? - and the fact he is neglecting to deal with the apparent influx of conservative conservatives, and the apparent predilections of some of the new Euro group Iain is ignoring the body language and facial expressions of of the Tory conference audience during Cameron's "memory man" speech. They winced, they sat silent, they scowled and they fretted when Cam came out with any of this liberalism. And they cheered at the usual dog whistles.

The Tory party at large has sadly not changed. And on a wide range of issues Iain Dale himself is conservative conservative too. Wishing it so does not make it so.

I'd already commented at Iain's blog:

At June 28, 2009 6:04 PM , Blogger Chris Paul said...

Let's hope the new intake of hard-line reactionaries don't drive people back into the closet. What's the line: juvenile experiment, now gotten over it?

And then, while I waited for it to be posted I noticed that Tim Ireland, a bit of a thorn in Iain Dale's side one way or another had posted three times. And only the first had been zapped then, and although Iain's usual practice is to zap all Tim's points, that's still the case even though moderation is on full court press:




Here are Timbo's vile links: On Tory Reaction to Dave Cam's memory man speech which LOL blogged about HERE and referred to again HERE; and Tim accusing Iain of being less than helpful over a homophobic smear campaign.

Iain Dale is pretty much mainstream right wing Tory on everything except gay rights and civil partnerships. On this he is a bit of a one trick pony. And this headline really is damning.