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A Britain We All Call Home > Published by Shamik Das, May 4th 2010 at 2:58 pm

Hague defends Tory PPC who “tried to ‘cure’ gay people”

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Shadow foreign secretary William Hague defended yet another homophobic Tory candidate today, Philippa Stroud – who founded a church that tried to “cure” homosexuals by driving out their “demons” through prayer. Stroud, the Conservative Party PPC for Sutton and Cheam, is head of the right-wing think tank The Centre for Social Justice, a group David Cameron addressed in a keynote speech on “Broken Britain” last Tuesday.

Hague, speaking on BBC Radio 5 this morning, also defended the Tories’ anti-gay far-Right allies in Europe, and said Stroud’s case was different from that of Philip Lardner, suspended from standing for the Conservatives in North Ayrshire and Arran, who had said homosexuality was “not normal”. To describe Stroud as homophobic, insisted Hague, would be “false” and “misleading”.

Listen to his interview:

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, criticised Stroud, telling today’s Guardian:

“It would be highly regrettable if someone who continued to hold these views held any significant office in government.”

This is just the latest in a series of anti-gay stories about Tory MPs, candidates and allies in recent months; these include the homophobic remarks of Chris Grayling and Julian Lewis. Both men remain members of David Cameron’s front bench team.

  • http://twitter.com/thinkdebate/status/13366076383 Think Debate

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/paulstpancras/status/13366168287 paulstpancras

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/issacgreaves/status/13366391733 Issac Greaves

    Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud

  • http://twitter.com/sunny_hundal/status/13366683139 sunny hundal

    BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/davessidekick/status/13366763573 Gideon Osborne

    My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillipastroud #ukelection #manishood

  • http://twitter.com/vriyait/status/13366812498 Vijay Singh Riyait

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/whatsinitforme/status/13366908352 Matthew

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud # …

  • http://twitter.com/yorkierosie/status/13367025790 yorkierosie

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/the_iceman2288/status/13367306386 Dave Elliott

    William Hague defends Tory homophobia http://bit.ly/9ocbEX?r=td

  • http://twitter.com/williamstafford/status/13367388434 William Stafford

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/rickcoyle99/status/13367795819 Rick Coyle

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/grpartington/status/13368274976 Gareth Partington

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/calderbank/status/13365944910 Michael Calderbank

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/lawandsexuality/status/13365985163 lawandsexuality

    Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/houseoftwits/status/13366004104 House Of Twits

    RT @leftfootfwd Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/sean_lab/status/13366018768 Sean Dwyer

    RT @houseoftwits: RT @leftfootfwd Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/bma/status/13368702487 Benjamin A’Lee

    Shadow Foreign Sec. defends homophobia in the Tory Party. http://ur1.ca/ythz #ge2010

  • http://twitter.com/jo_cox1/status/13366049145 Jo Cox

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/lescromps22/status/13366149057 Les Crompton

    Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people" http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/hanlemic/status/13366157029 Michael Hanley

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX < She'd said she could cure his baldness too

  • http://twitter.com/aseculargay/status/13366165481 Secular Gay

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/petrakramer/status/13368862657 Petra Kramer

    RT @HanzChristianNL: RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people" http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/autismwales/status/13366211105 Elena

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/blissfulblues/status/13366245670 Angela

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/scrumpymoet/status/13366246264 Andrew Breading

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/jfw1london/status/13366263050 John Fraser

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/9xzulug/status/13366274308 winston k moss

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/jaekay/status/13366317615 Jae Kay

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/peterptashko/status/13366319550 Peter Ptashko

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/true_belle/status/13366334782 True_Belle

    Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people" | Left Foot Forward http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/thinkdebate/status/13366383498 Think Debate

    #phillippastroud RT @leftfootfwd Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/eileenallen55/status/13366557703 Eileen Allen

    RT @IssacGreaves: Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud

  • http://twitter.com/davessidekick/status/13366623567 Gideon Osborne

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/katiekatetweets/status/13366626841 katemonaghan

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX < how can this be defended?!

  • http://twitter.com/davessidekick/status/13366763573 Gideon Osborne

    My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillipastroud #ukelection #manishood

  • http://twitter.com/davessidekick/status/13366763573 Gideon Osborne

    My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillipastroud #ukelection #manishood

  • http://twitter.com/davorg/status/13366769593 Dave Cross

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/davorg/status/13366769593 Dave Cross

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/mrmatthewtaylor/status/13366797242 matthew taylor

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague says she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/mrmatthewtaylor/status/13366797242 matthew taylor

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague says she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/vriyait/status/13366812498 Vijay Singh Riyait

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/apptme2theboard/status/13366842374 apptme2theboard

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/davessidekick/status/13366866177 Gideon Osborne

    My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/issacgreaves/status/13366892434 Issac Greaves

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people" http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/richdavidson/status/13366919808 richdavidson

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by …

  • Bill Kristol-Balls

    Oh to be a fly on the wall at the first cabinet meeting of a new Tory government –

    David Cameron – Well, great to see you all, now lots to do, lots to do. Before we start though, Nick and Alan, could you just go next door with Philippa. Lovely, thanks very much. That’s it, close the door behind you. Excellent.

    Now, George, you reckon we can get a few million by selling off the Sure Start centres but just clarify something for me, is that including the kids or can we get extra for t…

    THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU. THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU. OUT DEMON, OUT OUT OUT. THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU. THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU. ALAN STOP LAUGHING. FOUL DEMON. OUT OUT OUT. WILL YOU TWO STOP KISSING EACH OTHER

    OK. item 2…

  • http://twitter.com/kate_butler/status/13366992922 KATE BUTLER

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/adewim/status/13366993738 Alex Martin

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/blearybrains/status/13367002675 Al D

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/aseculargay/status/13367012780 Secular Gay

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/andersnygaard/status/13369752925 Anders Nygaard

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/maximmanchester/status/13367128412 Max

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/joe_e_coco/status/13367159681 joey coco

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/philippa_stroud/status/13367172716 Philippa Stroud

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/joe_e_coco/status/13367194222 joey coco

    RT @True_Belle: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people" | Left Foot Forward http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/munchysmum/status/13367214610 Jules Grigg

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/allerley/status/13370131282 allerley

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/rosshaffenden/status/13367752006 Ross Haffenden

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/stoptheright/status/13370471865 StopTheRight

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people" http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #ge10

  • http://twitter.com/yormtweetty/status/13368139325 kay

    RT @lawandsexuality: Be afraid fellow queers. Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/bulsonline/status/13371206011 Bham Labour Students

    http://bit.ly/cIOHE4 Ben Summerskill: “Regrettable if someone with these views held any significant office in government” #PhilippaStroud

  • http://twitter.com/chrisplol/status/13368782631 Chris Paul

    RT @sunny_hundal: BBC finally asks about PhillipaStroud; William Hague tries to pretend she did nothing wrong: http://bit.ly/9ocbEX (by @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/hanzchristiannl/status/13368810598 Hanz Christian

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people" http://bit.ly/9ocbEX

  • http://twitter.com/ferrisprobablee/status/13372585054 Lee Ferris

    RT @IssacGreaves: Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud

  • http://issacgreaves.eu/stroud/ Philippa Stroud – Is the blanket starting to lift? – Issac Greaves

    [...] some credit here, they did question William Hague about this whole Stroud affair as blogged by Left Foot Forward. See his response in the video below (courtesy of youtube [...]

  • http://www.cosmodaddy.com/2010/05/04/william-hague-defending-evangelical-homophobia/ Cosmodaddy » Blog Archive » William Hague Defending Evangelical Homophobia

    [...] William Hague Defending Evangelical Homophobia Posted: May 4th, 2010 | Author: admin | Filed under: Politics, gay rights, general election, human rights | Tags: BBC Radio 5, Conservative Party, gay, homophobia, homosexuality, Philippa Stroud, Tories, William Hague | No Comments » Well I guess his party needs all the votes it can get in the run-up to Thursday, but this is makes alarming listening: [...]

  • http://twitter.com/zenscara/status/13372406005 Vicky Blake

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/lgbtlabour/status/13375498319 LGBT Labour

    RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #SameOldTories

  • http://twitter.com/sspcampsie/status/13375627653 SSP Campsie

    RT @LGBTLabour RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://short.to/2djdb #SameOldTories

  • http://twitter.com/veganpanda/status/13376083537 Vegan Panda

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/adamcroome/status/13376496333 Adam Croome

    RT @LGBTLabour RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #SameOldTories

  • http://twitter.com/jonboniface/status/13376743750 Jonathan Boniface

    RT @IssacGreaves: Be very afraid. RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #philli …

  • http://twitter.com/slater66uk/status/13376915982 lawrence slater

    RT @LGBTLabour: RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #SameOldTories

  • http://twitter.com/distant_angel/status/13376011993 Kris King

    RT @bma: Shadow Foreign Sec. defends homophobia in the Tory Party. http://ur1.ca/ythz #ge2010

  • http://twitter.com/actingasawave/status/13376359812 superbrutal

    RT @davessidekick: My favourite Willie: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #phillippastroud #ukelection #manishsood

  • http://twitter.com/marplesmarbles/status/13376624567 Marplesmarbles

    RT @adamcroome: RT @LGBTLabour RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #SameOldTories

  • http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/05/04/hague-defends-tory-ppc-who-%e2%80%9ctried-to-%e2%80%98cure%e2%80%99-gay-people%e2%80%9d/ Hague defends Tory PPC who “tried to ‘cure’ gay people” « The best Labour blogs

    [...] More… [...]

  • http://twitter.com/themainstand/status/13380902266 Brian O’Rourke

    leftfootfwd Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #ge2010 #phillipastroud

  • http://twitter.com/danielcosgrove/status/13386821101 Daniel Cosgrove

    RT @LGBTLabour: RT @leftfootfwd: Hague defends Tory PPC who "tried to 'cure' gay people": http://bit.ly/9ocbEX #SameOldTories

  • http://twitter.com/yonmei/status/13416776767 Yonmei

    sr #Tory #Hague defends #PhilippaStroud & her #homophobic views on Radio5 Live, 3pm 4thMay http://tiny.cc/i0xw9 #ukelection #nevertoryagain

  • http://twitter.com/ebonical/status/13422824598 ebony

    Hague defends Philippa Stroud who "tried to 'cure' gay people" http://j.mp/c8DvWf

  • John Shields

    Calm down everyone – listen to the what he’s saying. Hague doesn’t say anything bad himself here. And it damages the Labour or Lib Dem causes if you criticise unreasonably. Not helpful. Not helpful at all. Hague is a clever and talented politician, and like when the Tories attack respected politicians like Ashdown or Benn, they suffer. Labour and the Lib Dems will also suffer if they unreasonably level attacks at Hague. He’s obviously not a homophobe, and equally, the Tories have taken huge strides forward in their approach to the gay community – let’s not attack them for it!

  • John Shields

    Labour especially have to be very very careful here – the attitudes of most traditional Labour voters in many constituencies are far more homophobic than anything you would hear from the Conservative backbenchers. If they’re not careful, there’ll be another ‘Duffy moment’, where the Westminster-bound political class shows itself to be detached – however positively – from the majority of the electorate.

  • http://twitter.com/jamesfmaxwell/status/13847247994 JamesFrancisMaxwell
  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/08/first-xi-the-tory-mps-committed-to-narrowing-the-gap-between-rich-and-poor/ First XI: The Tory MPs committed to narrowing the gap between rich and poor | Left Foot Forward

    [...] all, 35 Tory candidates at the last election signed the pledge, including Philippa Stroud, PPC for Sutton & Cheam and the former head of the Centre for Social Justice – currently [...]

  • http://twitter.com/chapelbankfarm/status/22788127686 Derek

    Tory antigay rants make this a story http://bit.ly/clEHQS "@dawnhfoster: Ditto RT @MsGoodhew This Hague crap is pissing me off."

  • http://tisserra.net/stroud/ Philippa Stroud – Is the blanket starting to lift? – Tisserra

    [...] some credit here, they did question William Hague about this whole Stroud affair as blogged by Left Foot Forward. See his response in the video below (courtesy of youtube user [...]

  • Keith Lynwood

    Where are they now? Both Chris Grayling – who wanted to put “NO GAYS” signs in the windows of bed and breakfasts and Phillipa Stroud – who attempted to exorcise gay men of their demons. BOTH work for Ian Duncan Smith that well known high ranking catholic, coincidence? I think not.