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Left Foot Forward > Published by Will Straw, April 14th 2010 at 1:27 pm

Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group

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David Cameron has come under an excoriating attack from two former Conservative party members over the party’s stance on gay rights. Anastasia Beaumont-Bott and David Heathcote, who had both held party positions, said that the tipping point to their decision to defect to Labour was Chris Grayling’s remarks on B&Bs and David Cameron’s slow response in calling for an apology.

Anastasia Beaumont-Bott had founded and headed up LGBTory, a gay rights pressure group inside the Conservative party. But she announced last week that she would be voting Labour after unsuccessfully calling for David Cameron to sack Chris Grayling. Just two months ago she wrote proudly on Conservative Home about why she was a candidate for the National Management Executive on Conservative Future.

Speaking this afternoon at the Labour party’s HQ, she said:

“A leopard does not change its spots, and neither has the Conservative Party. Once upon a time, I made the massive mistake of believing that they had. And I‘m here to tell you how wrong I got them.

“Mr Cameron, I believed in you and your party, and you let me down. I thought your party was progressive and would stand up for the “great ignored.”, but your party ignored my complaints about discrimination and smears…

“Mr Cameron, you have not only lost my vote. You have lost my respect. “

David Heathcote had been working as the ‘Get out the vote’ Director in the marginal seat of Colne Valley and was on the party’s approved list of candidates. He had aspirations to become a Member of Parliament but quit after the Chris Grayling affair. He said:

“Under David Cameron’s leadership I had felt able to persuade gay people and others who had no trust in the Conservatives that the party had changed and was ready to represent them. How wrong I was. Whilst Mr Cameron may have this vision, his party seems unwilling to move with him from their old values to those of a party to represent a modern, fair and equal Britain.”

Speaking to Left Foot Forward after the event Mr Heathcote outlined that his concerns with David Cameron’s leadership ran wider than issues of gay rights:

“I didn’t think now was the time for massive cuts. The OECD’s release last week projecting growth will rise to 3.1 per cent in the second quarter clarified that the Government has managed the economy extremely well.”

The defection of these two activists, comes as Left Foot Forward launches its election video on equality, which details the Tories’ true record on gay rights.

Watch it:

  • http://twitter.com/andy_s_64/status/12160366456 Andy Sutherland

    Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P /via @leftfootfwd #fb

  • http://twitter.com/jo_cox1/status/12160617639 Jo Cox

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/12160891010 Will Straw

    Just heard a v moving speech by Anastasia Beaumont-Bott who quit as head of LGBTory after Grayling's B&B remarks http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/12161020680 Shamik Das

    RT @uklabourparty: @leftfootfwd: A leopard does not change its spots, and neither has the Tory Party: http://bit.ly/cKs15P reports @wdjstraw

  • http://twitter.com/esther_rehtse/status/12161201273 Esther Anyakwo

    #VOTELABOUR #GE2010 RT @UKLabourParty: A leopard does not change its spots, and neither has the Conservative Party http://bit.ly/cKs15P RT

  • http://twitter.com/markwill1960/status/12161496009 Mark Ian Williams
  • http://twitter.com/bencooper86/status/12162253002 Ben Cooper

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/sullyserena/status/12160360978 Serena

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/jesus_john/status/12160536650 John West

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/uklabourparty/status/12160698570 UK Labour Party

    Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P #labour RT

  • http://twitter.com/uklabourparty/status/12160811008 UK Labour Party

    A leopard does not change its spots, and neither has the Conservative Party http://bit.ly/cKs15P RT

  • http://twitter.com/redwidge/status/12160823375 Leepy Lee

    RT @Uklabourparty: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P #labour RT

  • http://twitter.com/deludeddonny/status/12160841766 Donovan Clarkson

    RT @UKLabourParty: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P #labour RT

  • http://twitter.com/deludeddonny/status/12160867641 Donovan Clarkson

    RT @UKLabourParty: A leopard does not change its spots, and neither has the Conservative Party http://bit.ly/cKs15P RT

  • http://drwollastonfactcheck.blogspot.com/ Peter Harrison

    Another Conservative, Dr. Sarah Wollaston, the high-profile PPC for Totnes, was last night either ignorant or deceitful over the Conservative’s alignment with Poland’s homophobic Law and Justice party. At last night’s Totnes husings Dr. Wollaston staked her own personal credibility on the issue, stating that she would never have joined the Conservatives if she knew they were aligned with parties that held homophobic views. See the blog for full details.

  • http://twitter.com/sametories/status/12160988193 Same Old Tories

    RT @leftfootfwd Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P #sameoldtories #ge2010

  • http://twitter.com/johnnor/status/12161019228 John Nor

    RT @wdjstraw: Just heard a v moving speech by Anastasia Beaumont-Bott who quit as head of LGBTory after Grayling's B&B remarks http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/lastyearsman/status/12161128028 Andrew Parrington

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/esther_rehtse/status/12161162823 Esther Anyakwo

    #VOTELABOUR #GeneralElections RT @UKLabourParty: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P #labour RT

  • http://twitter.com/dave_lew/status/12161416594 Dave Lewis

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://www.torybear.com Tory Bear
  • http://twitter.com/politicalhackuk/status/12162244750 John O’Shea

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/bristolcwu/status/12165319952 Dave Wilshire

    RT @sametories: RT @leftfootfwd Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P #sameoldtories #ge2010

  • http://twitter.com/alex_ross1983/status/12167761145 Alex Ross

    Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/byjaBD

  • http://twitter.com/electionlength/status/12168869600 Dave Length

    RT @leftfootfwd: Founder of Tory gay rights group defects http://bit.ly/cKs15P // Yes, it does say Tory gay rights group. #GE2010

  • http://twitter.com/deludeddonny/status/12168924282 Donovan Clarkson

    RT @LGBTLabour: RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/rosathewitch/status/12170750952 )O( Rosa )O(

    RT @LGBTLabour: RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/lgbtlabour/status/12168567215 LGBT Labour

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • topsy_top20k_en

    Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/lawrencemills/status/12168694451 Lawrence Mills

    RT @LGBTLabour: RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/danielcosgrove/status/12173688424 Daniel Cosgrove

    RT @LGBTLabour: RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/janeayres/status/12174104461 Jane Ayres

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/emmapeate/status/12175125674 Emma Peate

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P (via @LGBTLabour)

  • http://twitter.com/sohopolitico/status/12177292344 Soho Politico

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://twitter.com/johannhari101/status/12177179000 Johann Hari

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/04/14/founder-of-tory-lgbt-group-defects-to-labour/ Liberal Conspiracy » Founder of Tory LGBT group defects to Labour

    [...] statement was first reported by Left Foot Forward A leopard does not change its spots, and neither has the Conservative Party. Once upon a time, I [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/politics-summary-thursday-april-15th/ Politics Summary: Thursday, April 15th | Left Foot Forward

    [...] Grayling’s gaffe over gays comes back to bite Tories as Labour unveils defectors”. Left Foot Forward broke the story yesterday afternoon. Share | Permalink | Leave a comment [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/camerons-meps-vote-with-ukip-bnp-against-gender-equality/ Cameron’s MEPs vote with UKIP & BNP against gender equality | Left Foot Forward

    [...] party suffered setbacks have suffered setbacks recently with renewed allegations of racism and homophobia – and now evidence, from Europe, of Tory sexism as well. Nearly 90 per cent of [...]

  • http://twitter.com/iwaltersmith/status/12269102265 Isobel Walter-Smith

    RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group http://bit.ly/cKs15P

  • http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/04/14/cameron-let-me-down-says-founder-of-tory-gay-rights-group/ Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group « The best Labour blogs

    [...] More… [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/look-left-the-week-in-fast-forward-16-04-10/ Look Left – The Week in Fast Forward | Left Foot Forward

    [...] north of England, going to a state school, and subject to racist slurs. Also this week, two members defected to Labour over Cameron’s failure to discipline Chris Grayling for his remarks about B&B [...]

  • http://spicycauldron.com/2010/04/22/tories-desperate-move-to-show-no-they-like-the-gays-really-they-do/ Tories’ desperate move to show no, they like the gays, really they do | The Spicy Cauldron

    [...] Cameron let me down, says founder of Tory gay rights group (leftfootforward.org) [...]