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Letter warns of Polish Law and Justice party's 'vile rhetoric'
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry gets angry about Cameron's 'homophobic' European allies
Celebrities including Stephen Fry, Ewan MacGregor, Jo Brand, Eddie Izzard and Patrick Stewart have signed an open letter to David Cameron asking him not to "fawn over allies whose homophobia has no place in modern Europe".
After leaving the centre-right EPP group in the European Parliament in June, the Tories formed a new alliance with eight other countries, the European Conservatives and Reformists, led by Michal Kaminski of the Polish Law and Justice party. In July, the BBC unearthed a video clip of Kaminski referring to gay people as "fags".
The letter, which was also signed by Labour MEPs including Michael Cashman, officials of the trade union Unite and Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, warns of the Law and Justice party's history of anti-gay pronouncements.
"It is not just that your new Polish allies oppose gay marriage and adoption but that their vile rhetoric - branding homosexuality as a 'pathology', gays as 'perverts', and describing 'the affirmation of homosexuality' as 'the downfall of civilisation' - was used to whip up hate during their election campaign," the letter states.
"Your party's decision to host an LGBT event at conference is a good step in the right direction. But it will seem empty - a two-faced gesture - if in the same week you fawn over allies whose homophobia has no place in modern Manchester, in modern Britain, or in Europe."
The letter concludes: "Mr Cameron, we want to believe the Conservative party has really changed - please help us by rescinding the invite to the Polish Law and Justice party and urging them either to change their views or quit your new European group."
