Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Tim Farron just can’t escape gay sex

What does Tim Farron think about gay sex? Like Ken Livingstone’s repeated reluctance to discuss Hitler, the former Lib Dem leader has never really offered his views on the subject. This time a year ago, for instance, he was so busy talking about all the things his party was putting into its general election manifesto that there was just never time for the matter to creep into interviews.

He’s never avoided questions on gay sex, or changed his views on gay sex, or offered formulations which sound as though he loves gay people (just not in The Way) but actually mean he doesn’t think they should be having gay sex. So what a surprise that gay sex has cropped up as a problem for Farron this week. It’s not like it’s ever been in an issue before.

In Part 500 of Tim Farron And The Gays (a budget comedy TV series in which a slightly eccentric politician whizzes about, Basil Fawlty style, telling everyone not to ‘mention the gays: I mentioned them once but I think I got away with it’), the Lib Dem MP has announced he is pulling out of a speaking appearance at the Northern Men’s Convention after people started pointing out some of the promotional material.

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