Oh Boy, has she blown this up.
Paul Brand from ITV and Iain Dale are not happy bunnies (both are gay).
Paul Brand ITV AT PaulBrandITV
Suella Braverman’s speech in Washington this evening contains a blistering attack on pro-LGBT Tories.
She says the pride (progress) flag has been flown on govt buildings as if marking “occupied territory”, accusing Tory colleagues of supporting a “horrible political campaign” which supports the “mutilation of children” and leaves her “physically repulsed”.
This is arguably some of the most inflammatory language used by an MP about any LGBT issue since the 1980s. People will scream at me from both sides of the argument, but most people agree that there is an important and sensitive discussion to be had about children and trans identity. The question is whether this language helps.
But by using this rhetoric, I suspect Suella Braverman hopes to draw attention to her views and claim this ground as her own in the coming leadership contest. Others in her party share the same view but don’t express it quite this strongly, so she marks herself out.
Iain Dale AT IainDale
What a disgusting speech. And she seriously thinks she has a chance of leading the Conservative Party. Not while I have a breath left in my body. Moderate Conservatives need to stand up and be counted. This will not stand.
The replies to Iain Dale are worth reading btw. They are largely telling him, he's wrong.
So what did Suella say? See transcript below.
I personally think because of who she is, it's probably unhelpful and only pushes the 'US conservative religious right' buttons. And she perhaps put it too strongly in language.
But, and I can't believe I'm saying this, isn't saying anything that I think is wrong either. Mainly cos she's right and isn't out of step with Cass.
The problem is, I think she will ultimately defect to Reform when she doesn't win the Tory Party leadership and I think the danger with her speech is that it will have the oppose effect to the one intended by forcing a polarisation merely because she's Evil Suella. But I suspect the idea this subject has gone away and can be quietly buried is firmly for the birds now. She's decided to make this a hill to die on by the looks of it.
As I say, that election result changed a lot. Farage will look to capitalise and Americanise this argument too. Expect more of similar.
Other parties now have a choice whether to play into the hands of the polarisation by pushing back (which politically I think is a bear trap which will back fire in time) or to acknowledge the issues that TWAW has created and the findings of the Cass Review.
Interesting times.