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Tuesday, 11 September 2012

Nick Clegg drops 'bigots' attack

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg was left red-faced after his office was forced to withdraw comments in which he branded opponents of gay marriage "bigots". The Deputy Prime Minister was expected to launch an outspoken attack on opponents of the policy in a speech at a reception. Extracts released early by officials said: "Continued trouble in the economy gives the bigots a stick to beat us with, as they demand we 'postpone' the equalities agenda in order to deal with 'the things people really care about'." Within an hour aides had corrected the text, insisting an early draft had been released in error.
The revised version said: "Continued trouble in the economy leads some people to demand we 'postpone' the equalities agenda in order to deal with 'the things people really care about'." Nick Clegg's office have said that the "bigot jibe" was a "backroom blunder" an early draft of a speech and should not of been released to the media. Asked does Nick Clegg believe opponents of gay marriage are bigots? Answer from his office "it's not what he thinks".
Conservative MP Peter Bone told the BBC that he was "deeply offended" and he (Clegg) must "apologise or go". Mr Bone doesn't have a leg to stand on the Tory MP said he "threw up" when the Prime Minister told his party he supported gay marriage "because" he was a Conservative He told Ian Payne on LBC 97.3: "I threw up when I heard that comment. It was at the party conference and on what authority he had to say that, I do not know and that's why, if you listen to what he said, he's making that a party political thing. "It's saying you have to vote for gay marriage because you're a Conservative."