Gay UKIP MEP slurs Scotland’s Tory leader a “fat lesbian”

UKIP’s Scottish openly gay MEP, David Coburn, is alleged to have launched a verbal attack against rival politicians including leader of the Tory party in Scotland, Ruth Davidson, reports the Daily Record.

Allegedly overheard on an East Coast train journey from Scotland to London on Sunday he described Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Tory party, and an enthusiastic advocate of equal marriage, as a “fat lesbian.”

In addition he was reported to have called Scottish Labour leader, Johann Lamont, who is a firm supporter of LGBTI equality, a “fish wife”.

Coburn was also overheard during a phone conversation with a person named “Joe”, telling him: “Don’t worry, the sort of person who would vote for the Green Party would never vote for us.”

“Voting Green is a cult like Scientology or something,” he added, dismissing the party that is co-chaired by openly bi-sexual MSP Patrick Harvie.

But the 55-year-old UKIP MEP told the Daily Record he could not remember the details of every conversation he had on trains.

He said: “I’m a fat Scotsman, there so. I don’t recall any of this.”

A UKIP spokesman also was reported as reinforcing that: “David Coburn has no recollection of the alleged conversation.”

Glasgow-born Coburn, who lives in London, who has been in a same-sex relationship for a number of years said last May that “Civil partnerships should be enough. Gay marriage breeds homophobia as people are happy enough to tolerate gay people.”

He also described Equal Marriage campaigners as showing “a lack of toleration towards others who look on marriage as a holy sacrament between man and woman.”

The UKIP MEP is due to attend the UKIP party conference in Doncaster tomorrow.

Speaking with KaleidoScot, Rob McDowall, Member of the Equality Council and Chair, LGBT Network commented on Coburn’s slurs: “Another example of an elected member of the ‘nasty party’ engaging his mouth before his brain.

“Casual homophobia and bigotry isn’t acceptable and disgusting regardless of his own sexual orientation or personal views on the Tories, and one wouldn’t expect him to subject the whole carriage to his nasty rumblings.”