Tories Have The Most Out Candidates At 2015 Election

<p>LGBTory, the Conservative Party LGBT group, is proud to announce that at next month’s general election the Conservatives will be fielding 37 out candidates in constituencies up and down the country.</p> <p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4620477097.png" width="380" height="111" alt="" title=""/></p> <p>This will be the highest number of out candidates selected by any party. Based on figures by Professor Andrew Reynolds of the University of North Carolina, Tories led the way with openly LGBT candidates at 37, against the Lib Dems and Labour's 35 out candidates. Green has 23 and UKIP has 5.</p><p></p><p>LGBTory Chairman Colm Howard-Lloyd said:</p><p></p><p>“This impressive number of candidates builds on the Conservative Party’s record of having more out MPs than the other major parties put together.</p><p></p><p>“We are pleased to have 12 out former MPs re-standing as well as to have selected gay candidates in winnable seats such as Bath, Blackpool South and North East Derbyshire.</p><p></p><p>“The Conservative-led government’s achievements on LGBT rights have been transformational with same sex couples in England and Wales being able to marry from March last year.</p><p></p><p>“We have also seen £2 million distributed to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools as well as the law changed to allow gay men to apply for convictions for consensual gay sex to be disregarded. There is a pledge in the Conservative Party’s election manifesto to issue a pardon for historical gay sex convictions if elected in May.”</p><p></p><p>Out candidates have been selected in every region of Great Britain. LGBTory patron Ruth Davidson MSP is also leading the Conservatives’ campaign in Scotland.</p><p></p><p>Below is a list of out Conservative candidates along with details of the constituency in which they are standing:</p><p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4620477028.png" width="460" height="494" alt="" title=""/></p> <p> </p>