UKIP Leadership Candidate: People Must Be ‘Re-Educated’ Towards Progressive, LGBT Politics

UK Independence Party leadership candidate Lisa Duffy has drawn criticism from prominent members of the party after suggesting that Britons be “re-educated” towards left-wing, LGBT, identity politics.

Speaking to the LGBT in UKIP group, Ms. Duffy incorrectly identifies Northern Ireland as a “Catholic country” and says the nation is “behind the curve” on the issue of same-sex marriage.

Asked about Northern Ireland’s more traditional politics, she replied: “This is a Catholic country where they are behind the curve on issues such as this. I like to think that we seriously need to re-educate people and promote progression”.

The document, released by LGBT in UKIP, reveals the various leadership candidates’ stances on LGBT issues.

Candidate Bill Etheridge MEP spoke of “respecting the rights” of both religious and LGBT people, while favourite Diane James MEP said the party should “respect the devolved government” on the issue.

Elizabeth Jones favoured a “moderated, tempered approach to incremental implementation” of same sex marriage in Northern Ireland, while Phillip Broughton said: “I think we should let the people make their own choices”, on the issue.

Only Ms. Duffy, who has long been tied to the liberal-left, soft-Tory wing of UKIP, urged “re-education” and the promotion of progressive values.

Mr. Etheridge described Ms. Duffy’s remarks as “disparaging” towards Northern Ireland, adding: “To claim that Catholics needed to be reeducated due to their views on same-sex marriage is nothing short of totalitarian and smacks of the big state, big brother ideals that run through nearly all Ms Duffy’s policy ideas.

“It’s staggering that somebody who seeks to lead a national party can be so ill-informed and insensitive about such an important part of our great nation.”

One senior UKIP source told Breitbart London: “I find Ms. Duffy’s comments extremely worrying. UKIP is a Libertarian Party which should be able to encompass both fire-breathing evangelicals and polygamous, cross-dressing swingers, providing they don’t frighten the horses and both leave each other relatively at peace.

“Her comments betray not only her historical ignorance of the province of Northern Ireland, but also of Catholic democracies across the world which have allowed gay marriage. They signal the approach we can expect from a candidate who is supported by politically-correct centrists such as Suzanne Evans and an increasingly authoritarian and bullying LGBT wing. There is clearly no room for conservative Christians – many of whom have sought political refuge in UKIP – in a party lead by Lisa Duffy”.

Breitbart London reached out to Ms. Duffy’s campaign for comment, however has received no reply at the time of publishing.