Scottish Tory leadership candidate Murdo Fraser says he still doesn’t support gay marriage
A Scottish Tory leadership candidate has said he still does not support gay marriage because of his religious beliefs, 10 years after voting against it.
However, Murdo Fraser told Sky News that he is now “quite relaxed” about same-sex adoption, having previously voiced opposition to it.
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Mr Fraser, a Scottish MSP, added that personal religious beliefs “should not be a barrier to standing for office”.
The Scottish parliament overwhelmingly voted to allow gay couples to marry in 2014.
At the time, Mr Fraser was one of 18 MSPs to oppose it, saying it could threaten the charitable status of faith-based groups and providers that do not recognise same-sex marriage.
Mr Fraser also opposed same-sex couples being able to adopt, saying during a debate on the issue in 2006 that “children need male and female role models” and “people who express such views are not homophobes, extremists or, as some suggest, ‘religious nutters'”.
“They have genuine concerns that should not be dismissed with name calling and abuse”, he had said.
Mr Fraser told Sky News he has since changed his opinion and is “quite relaxed” about same-sex adoption.
However, he said he is still opposed to same-sex marriage because of his religious beliefs.
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Kate Forbes on why she attends Free Church
Asked about criticism from some other MSPs that he is “stuck in the past”, he said: “Most people are understanding that politicians are entitled to have personal religious views and that should not be a barrier to them standing for office.”
Mr Fraser was speaking after his campaign launch to replace Douglas Ross as the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, with Russell Findlay and Meghan Gallacher also in contention for the top job.
According to the Daily Record, which first reported on the story, he was joined on stage by MSP colleague Jamie Greene, who is openly gay.
‘Stuck in the past’
Mr Fraser told the newspaper they disagreed on some issues but could work as part of the same team.
But Green MSP Maggie Chapman said Mr Fraser’s voting record is “truly woeful, even by the standards of the Scottish Tories”.
“He has opposed almost every progressive change our parliament has passed while trying to block almost every step towards equality,” she said.
“The fact that he’s doubled down on this only shows that Scotland may have changed but Murdo Fraser is still stuck in the past.”
This issue has previously been contentious in Scottish politics.
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MSPs Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher. Pics: PA
Last year, Kate Forbes’s leadership campaign to replace Nicola Sturgeon de-railed when the then-Scottish finance secretary admitted she would have voted against gay marriage had she been a politician when it was legalised.
She subsequently told Sky News that her faith, as a member of the Free Church of Scotland, means having children outside of marriage is “wrong” and something she personally would “seek to avoid”.
She also opposed her party’s now-dead gender legislation and failed to fully commit to banning all forms of conversion therapy.
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Although she insisted she was progressive and people could “do what they want in a free society”, the scrutiny of her beliefs led to many of her colleagues dropping support for her and she ultimately came in second behind Humza Yousaf.
When Mr Yousaf resigned a year later she did not enter the race to succeed him, but was made deputy first minister by his replacement John Swinney.
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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