Peter Tatchell urges support for Haltemprice Green
06 July 2008
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has urged pro-rights voters in Haltemprice and Howden to back the Green Party candidate, Shan Oakes. Mr Tatchell, who is the Greens' spokesman on human rights and parliamentary candidate for Oxford East, said a vote for David Davis would not send a clear message but instead "endorse his mixed bag of liberalism and authoritarianism".
Mr Tatchell said:
"It's a two-horse race. The only serious challenger to David Davis is Shan Oakes, the Green Party candidate.
"The Greens are the party of universal human rights. Shan Oakes is the best choice for voters who want to defend all our liberties and oppose all forms of discrimination.
"Labour and the Liberal Democrats are not standing. It is a straight contest between Davis and Oakes.
"Although Mr Davis opposes 42 days detention without charge, he supports detaining people for up to 28 days and many other erosions of our hard-won freedoms. He is not a true standard bearer of universal human rights.
"If Mr Davis gets a thumping majority, it will endorse his mixed bag of liberalism and authoritarianism. It will signal to the Conservative Party that people are content for some of our precious liberties to be undermined."
On David Davis authoritarian record, Mr Tatchell added:
"David Davis supports capital punishment, 28 days detention without charge, restrictions on the right to protest within a mile of parliament and a ban on schools supporting gay families.
"He voted to preserve the criminal offence of blasphemy and opposed an equal age of consent for gay men. He led the attack on the Human Rights Act and has pledged to abolish it.
"Davis also backs control orders, which are a draconian form of house arrest for people who have not been charged with any offence and which can last indefinitely, even for years."
