SENIOR Tory Andrew Boff has spoken out after he was kicked out of his party’s conference for heckling Suella Braverman.
Boff, who is London Assembly chairman, was marched out by security guards when he accused the Home Secretary of homophobia and transphobia.
He said from his seat “there’s no such thing as gender ideology” after Braverman (below) had criticised “gender ideology, white privilege” and so-called anti-British history.
Boff later told PA that Braverman was “basically vilifying gay people and trans people by this attack on LBGT ideology, or gender ideology”.
Braverman said the heckles were “silly” but added that “he should be forgiven and let back into conference”.
Boff has been a Conservative for around 50 years, and has since said he has been overwhelmed with messages of support since being kicked out of the Home Secretary’s speech.
He told LBC: “I’ve had so many contacts over the past few hours from people who are concerned as I am that we are using this culture war battleground to no good effect at all and we’re actually hurting people.
“And we shouldn’t be doing that as Conservatives. That’s not the Conservative Party I joined and I think we’re better than that.”
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He said he felt the Tories are still on track for a “victory next year” but said the party needed to focus on “the important things” instead of divisive topics.
Asked if he would remain a Conservative member if Braverman were to become the next leader of the party, he replied: “Luckily that’s not going to happen … because I believe in the ultimate common sense of the party.
"Also, I very much hope that Suella Braverman learns about the power of her words and moderates her tone.”
Boff also received support from Elliot Colburn, a Tory MP who chairs the all-party group on LGBT+ global rights.
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“I don’t really blame him for doing what he did”, he said.
“There’s a sense of frustration that Suella was the latest in a number of Cabinet ministers who mentioned trans people in their speech.
“The Government keeps repeating that they want to treat trans people with dignity and compassion; we need some demonstration of that now.”
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