6th April 2010

In a speech names the "Great Ignored" David Cameron omits gay people in contrast to CCHQ briefing.

Last night the Conservative party briefing that David Cameron would say:

"We're fighting this election for the Great Ignored. Young, old, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight."

But when he gave the speech, from the South Bank, the words "gay, straight" were omitted.

Katie Hanson, National Chair of LGBT Labour said:

"The irony that David Cameron ignored gay people in a speech about the great ignored is lost to no one. LGBT people will not be ignored in this election.

"Cameron and his Tories are hoping LGBT people will ignore their voting record on LGBT equality in this Parliament but time again the real Tory party reveals itself. Chris Grayling's comments about B&B owners are yet to be tackled by David Cameron - how long will he go on ignoring gay equality issues."

LGBT issues have not gone ignored under Labour: http://lgbtlabour.org.uk/therecord.

• BBC Live Blog at 12.20: The BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones says: Several people on the micro-blogging service Twitter have noted that David Cameron left out the words "gay or straight" from his election speech. The embargoed copy released before his speech said: "We're fighting this election for the Great Ignored. Young, old, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight." But when he gave the speech, the words "gay, straight" were omitted. A Conservative Party spokesman said the reference to the great ignored including the gay and straight phrase will be used throughout the day, and that no-one should read anything into this.
• Pink News: Video: Cameron misses out gay people in speech
• Left Foot Forward: Cameron fails to say he's for "gay or straight"
• Telegragh Blog: General Election 2010: David Cameron doesn't mention gays
• Metro: David Cameron slip leaves gay people out of election speech

@campbellclaret: Cameron fluffed his lines. Missed ref to gay or straight from pre-briefed words. Grayling must have got at him!

@johannhari101: Cameron's pro-gay claims are collapsing as the election begins http://bit.ly/dubqR6 #Grayling

@pinknews: Cameron misses out gay people in speech http://bit.ly/9mjIxR

@LGBTLabour: Yup, he's ignoring us! >RT @UKLabour RT @labourpress Did DC just fail to say that Great Ignored included gay voters as CCHQ had pre-briefed?

@leftfootfwd: Cam fails to say he's for "gay or straight". Unforgivable given concern over Graylings remarks on B&Bs http://bit.ly/b5QOVh

@LGBTLabour: Cameron doing his 'great ignored' speech again. Gays dropped off his tick box list. Soon started ignoring us again! #SameOldTories

@baltimoreadvent: Cam fails to say he's for "gay or straight" - despite briefing ... (http://cli.gs/AbrQn) http://twitter.com/baltimoreadvent

@BritishElection: did the conservative leader purposely leave out gay or straight from his speech? http://twitter.com/BritishElection

@BBCElection: Rory Cellan-Jones on how Twitter noted that David Cameron left out the words "gay or straight" from his speech: http://bit.ly/9K4Gp2

@tomrawr: Glad other people noticed that Cameron left out the "gay or straight" line in his speech, even worse after Grayling this week!

@PaulTwinn Omission of the day: DC left out words "gay or straight" from speech. Embargoed copy of it had the words in.

@LeighJohnston: Cameron is fighting for the "great ignored" and drops "can be gay or straight" from his speech? ..

@ciphergoth: Cameron's speech for the cameras leaves out "gay or straight" http://j.mp/dwWjvg

@ukpolitico: First controversy of the election! In his notes Cameron added "gay or straight" to "great ignored" but missed it out on delivery. #ge2010

@TomHarris4MP: @dht09 The point being that "gay or straight" was in his original notes and he missed it out. #ge2010

@alexwilcock: "The Great Ignored": @NickThornsby Cameron just omitted the 'gay or straight' line that was in his earlier draft of his speech. #GE2010

@WillHeaven: Sharp spot. RT @leftfootfwd Cameron fails to say he's for "gay or straight"... http://bit.ly/b5QOVh

@LabourList: LiveLIST: Labour's chance for a positive campaign / Cam fails to say he's for "gay or straight" http://bit.ly/bnpSD6

@dominiccampbell: unsurprised to hear Cameron drop the "gay or straight" line that was briefed yesterday for his speech this morning

@jsjallen: Cameron missed out "gay or straight" from his speech despite it being in the embargoed version. Comment just after 1214 http://bit.ly/9JzGdz