Saturday 9 May 2009

Is Telegraph attack on Bradshaw homophobic?

Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter, was the first government minister to enter into a civil partnership when he married long-term partner in 2006.

The thrust of the Daily Telegraph's complaint is that, after his civil partnership Bradshaw took on and claimed the full mortgage payments on their jointly owned home.

It is headlined "Ben Bradshaw: Mortgage bill paid on home part-owned by boyfriend"

Or husband, as those of us who think civil partnerships are to all intents and purposes 'gay marriage' might put it.

So is there a double standard, motivated by homophobia, behind the story and the presentation of it?

The Minister has said what he thinks to his 1797 close friends on Facebook.


Ben Bradshaw says if you doubt today's false smear of him by the Torygraph is homophobic, ask would they have written the same piece about the Camerons?


That seems to me a pretty good point.

If that is wrong, will the Telegraph be challenging other married MPs with similar arrangements?

Perhaps they could let us all know their response.

[UPDATE: The comment quoted above was Bradshaw's second Facebook/Twitter comment on the story: the first was "Ben Bradshaw says today's Telegraph smear is factually wrong and homophobic"]

5 comments:

Doktorb said...

Strawman argument. David Cameron is not gay.

Unknown said...

Erm, surely that's the point Liam?

Tom said...

"Strawman argument. David Cameron is not gay."

Amazing.

Anonymous said...

How do you know Bradshaw is the 'husband' and not the 'wife'?

Unknown said...

What nonsense will apologists for MPs stoop to to spin against these Telegraph disclosures?

My Telegraph this morning has a similar story about Stephen Byers and his female partner, on page 4, and of course there's already been the story about Phil Woolas and his wife's clothes. You seem to be suggesting Ben Bradshaw should be exempt from scrutiny because he's gay.

The few like Ben Bradshaw need to stop whining about being caught milking the many - and start paying back, as overpaid benefit claimants would have to. Or else resign the Labour whip and stand down at the election.