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'I have had it with the Daily Mail and their particular brand of hate'
Daily Mail
Gay political blogger Iain Dale condemns Daily Mail's 'homophobic attack'
Gay political blogger and aspiring parliamentary candidate Iain Dale has made an official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) over a Daily Mail column which described him as "overtly gay".
The Ephraim Hardcastle column in today's Mail reads: "Overtly gay Tory blogger Iain Dale has reached the final stage of parliamentary selection for Bracknell". It then goes on to quote Dale's hope that readers of a gay news website will come to the primary and concludes: "Isn't it charming how homosexuals rally like-minded chaps to their cause?"
Dale is one of the UK's leading political commentators, writing for several newspapers and magazines and appearing regularly on TV and radio. He is the publisher of Total Politics magazine and his blog, Iain Dale's Diary, is widely respected by politicians and Westminster journalists.
Dale revealed on his website today that he had complained to the PPC and commented: "A year ago, the Richard Kay column in the Daily Mail printed a fairly vile column about my civil partnership - full of innuendo and just plain nastiness. Today the Ephraim Hardcastle column goes one better.
"I wonder if Peter McKay, the editor of Ephraim Hardcastle, ever describes himself as 'overtly straight'. Just imagine if I was Jewish and the same words had been used.
"Just by writing this blogpost, I will probably damage my chances in Bracknell. Some will say 'if you can't stand the heat...'. But I am damned if I am going to stay silent when I see a national newspaper indulge in a homophobic attack on me."
He adds that normally he would think the Mail's piece not worth bothering with. "But I'm afraid I have had it with the Daily Mail and their particular brand of hate."
