Mike Freer claims Labour rivals ‘outed’ him as gay to Orthodox Jewish voters
Conservative parliamentary candidate Mike Freer claims Labour opponents ‘outed him’ to religious Jewish voters.
The Tory candidate for Finchley and Golders Green alleges that following Labour canvassing he had been asked by a number of Orthodox voters about his sexuality.
He told PinkNews: “We got a phone call in the office from a lady who said she had been canvassed by the Labour Party and wanted to know if it’s true if I was gay.
Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
“Later, Orthodox Jewish councillors were out knocking on doors on my behalf and three residents also mentioned that Labour had been round and they could no longer support me because I am gay.”
Freer, who recently married his partner of over 20 years, Angelo Crolla, is seeking to retain the seat which has the highest concentration of Jews in any constituency.
Freer said of the claims: “If it’s true, it’s appalling. It’s a sign of desperation.”
But he did concede: “I’ve not seen it personally but I’d have thought better of my Labour opponent. I expect she doesn’t know anything about it.”
Sarah Sackman, Labour candidate for Finchley & Golders Green, told Jewish News: “Homophobia has no place in our society or in an election. I publicly support equal marriage and LGBT rights. If Mike Freer has any evidence supporting the statement he made to Pink News he should refer it to the police. That is the proper way to deal with this.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
-
By Brigit Grant
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)