I'M still a Tory... but I wonder if Cameron is: Top donor Lord Ashcroft and Cicerly Maunder drops their support for the party over PM's gay marriage 'obsession'
The Tories’ biggest donor has stopped funding the party after privately questioning whether the Prime Minister is still a proper Conservative.
Lord Ashcroft, who has given the Tories £10million, has withdrawn support after becoming dismayed with David Cameron’s obsession with ‘fringe issues’ such as gay marriage.
A source close to the Tory donor told the Daily Mail: ‘Lord Ashcroft is still a Tory but, he wonders, is Cameron?’
The source, himself a Tory donor, added: ‘Ashcroft does not agree with Cameron’s liberal approach to Conservatism. He thinks Cameron is too easily distracted by fringe issues which only the metropolitan elite care about, such as gay marriage.
In another blow to Mr Cameron, his local Chipping Norton party chairman, Cicely Maunder, quit her post and tore up her party membership over his promotion of gay marriage.
Yesterday Mrs Maunder, 64, said: ‘I left after 34 years because of David Cameron’s support for gay marriage. I have no choice but to feel strongly about it as a Christian believer. Other members walked out too. I’ve had a lot of support.’
She added: ‘ I renewed my party subscription a week before I resigned and received my membership card but I’ve now binned it. I’m a lifelong Conservative like my family before me. I’ve served the party half my life. I’ll be a non-voter now. It’s very sad.
‘I haven’t had a chance to talk to Mr Cameron about it but maybe I’ll see him shopping.’
She added: ‘I’m not anti-gay people at all. I fully agree with civil partnership rights. But most gay people will tell you that’s all they wanted and they don’t want gay marriage.’
A Tory source pointed out that Mrs Maunder was one of 22 branch chairs in the local association.
Ed: Two others Former District Councillor Patrick McHugh and Maureen Shepherd also resigned from the party at the same meeting.
You have to admire Cicerly standing down for her beliefs however it will have been a pointless gesture if she continues to support the conservatives. Untill people stop supporting the politicians who follow their own agenda then nothing will change.
Meanwhile I understand town councillor David Lydiat is no longer living in Chipping Norton and now lives and works in Witney and at the moment is campaigning for the conservatives in a little known town called Eastleigh
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283926/Lord-Ashcroft-Drops-support-Tories-David-Camerons-gay-marriage-obsession.html#ixzz2LtnRZ021
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