MP forced to quit for saying being gay ‘dangerous to society’

A VETERAN Tory MP was forced to resign last night after telling students that being gay is ‘dangerous to society’.

Andrew Turner, a former party vice-chairman, quit as MP for the Isle of Wight just hours after details emerged of his conversation with politics students at Christ the King College in Newport.

Mr Turner, 63, is also said to have

told the group of A-level students homosexuality is ‘wrong’.

Tory high command acted swiftly after being alerted to the row.

Conservative chief whip Gavin Williamson rang Mr Turner to establish the facts and he was told to resign hours later.

A Tory source said: ‘We want to make clear there is no place in the party for those views.’

Mr Turner, who was an Oxford contemporary of Theresa May and her husband Philip, has held the safe Tory seat since 2001. He was due to be reselected at 4pm yesterday but the meeting was postponed until after next week’s local elections following the intervention by Tory Central Office.

In a resignation statement last night, Mr Turner gave no explanation for his departure. He said he had been ‘incredibly fortunate’ to represent the seat, and would support his successor as Tory candidate.

‘I am grateful for the support I have received from islanders and proud of the record that Conservatives have in delivering for the island,’ he added.

The row came just days after Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, a committed Christian, was forced to say he does not believe gay sex is ‘a sin’ after dodging the question for days.

Mr Turner’s remarks came during a talk on Wednesday. He was asked if he would be attending the island’s gay pride event.

Student Esther Poucher, a gay rights campaigner, posted on Facebook: ‘He told us that he’d been invited, but wasn’t intending to go. This is because (and this is a direct quote) he thinks that homosexuality is “wrong” and “dangerous to society”. At this answer, I had to leave.’

Dave Stewart, the Conservative leader of the Isle of Wight Council, described Mr Turner’s comments as ‘very disappointing’.