Ukip banned from gay pride parade on safety grounds

Revellers take part in the London Pride Parade 2014 in central London but they will not be joined by Ukip members at this year's event. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Archive

Organisers of a gay pride parade have banned Ukip from taking part to "protect participants" but denied the decision was politically motivated.

The involvement of the anti-EU party in a London event to unify support for the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community had been questioned because of some Ukip members' comments about same-sex marriage.

Those planning the parade at the end of the month said they had to "wrestle with a difficult issue" before deciding to rescind an invitation for the right-wing political party to take part.

Ukip condemned the decision, saying it marked "a sad day for diversity and freedom", but the parade organisers said it could not risk trouble on the day.

Ahead of last month's election, Ukip had pledged to give legal protection in the workplace to religious people who oppose same-sex marriage because of their beliefs.

This would apply to cases such as the bakery which declined an order for a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan.

Former Conservative party member Winston McKenzie's comments as a Ukip election candidate had enraged the LGBT community. Credit: Emma Bryant/PA Archive

Other comments by party members had enraged the LGBT community.

In 2012, Ukip candidate Winston McKenzie was reported to have said it would not be "healthy" for children to be adopted by gay couples.