Lesbian and gay voters could determine the 1997 General Election result
in the country's 30 most marginal constituencies
where the sitting MPs have a majority of less than 1000.
With the electoral register being currently compiled, OutRage! is launching a new campaign --QUEER THE VOTE-- to encourage lesbians and gay men to get registered before the closing date in mid-October 1996.
"We're warning homophobic MPs in marginal seats that the gay community has the voting strength to get rid of them,"said John Beeson. "Our aim is to mobilise gay political power to ensure the election of gay-friendly MPs."
"Research variously suggests that 5-10% of the population is lesbian, gay, or bisexual. This means that in an average constituency of 60,000 electors there are between 3,000 and 6,000 homosexual or bisexual voters, which is more than enough to influence the poll result in seats with small majorities," said Mr. Beeson.
All of the 30 marginal constituencies targeted by OutRage! have majorities under 930. Sixteen have majorities of less than 500, and in eleven the majority is below 250. Of the 30 targeted seats, 18 are Conservative, 8 Labour, 3 Liberal Democrat and 1 Scottish National Party.
"A majority of the sitting MPs oppose lesbian and gay human rights, having supported Section 28, the unequal age of consent, and the ban on gays in the military," said Marina Cronin of OutRage!. "We urge gay electors to quiz the candidates and vote against those who endorse antigay policies."
| 1 | VALE OF GLAMORGAN | Conservative majority 19 | Walter Sweeney MP |
| 2 | SLOUGH | Labour majority 36 | Sitting MP John Watts Conservative but Labour majority due to seat merger. He is contesting another seat. |
| 3 | HAYES & HARLINGTON | Conservative majority 44 | Terry Dicks MP, sitting member. He is seeking another seat. |
| 4 | ROSSENDALE & DARWEN | Labour majority 49 | Janet Anderson MP |
| 5 | HALESOWEN & ROWLEY REGIS | Conservative majority 125 | New seat no MP as yet. |
| 6 | ROCHDALE | Lib. Dem. majority 128 | Elizabeth Lynne MP |
| 7 | BRECON & RADNORSHIRE | Conservative majority 130 | Jonathan Evans MP |
| 8 | CROYDON NORTH | Conservative majority 160 | Malcolm Wicks (Labour) MP. Conservative majority due to seat merger. |
| 9 | BIRMINGHAM YARDLEY | Labour majority 162 | Estelle Morris MP |
| 10 | STIRLING | Conservative majority 236 | Michael Forsyth MP |
| 11 | PORTSMOUTH SOUTH | Conservative majority 242 | David Martin MP |
| 12 | IPSWICH | Labour majority 335 | Jamie Cann MP |
| 13 | CORBY | Conservative majority 342 | William Powell MP |
| 14 | BLACKPOOL SOUTH | Conservative majority 394 | Nicholas Hawkins MP. (He will be contesting another seat) |
| 15 | ANGUS | SNP Majority 473 | Andrew Walsh MP |
| 16 | HALIFAX | Labour majority 478 | Alice Mahon MP |
| 17 | LUTON SOUTH | Conservative majority 532 | Sir Graham Bright MP |
| 18 | OLDHAM EAST & SADDLEWORTH | Conservative majority 559 | Chris Davis MP (Lib Dem., but Conservative majority due to seat merger) |
| 19 | CAMBRIDGE | Labour majority 580 | Anne Campbell MP |
| 20 | EDMONTON | Conservative majority 593 | Ian Twinn MP |
| 21 | PRESELI & PEMBROKESHIRE | Conservative majority 603 | New seat no MP as yet |
| 22 | BURY SOUTH | Conservative majority 728 | David Sumberg MP |
| 23 | FOREST OF DEAN | Labour majority 732 | Paul Marland MP (Conservative MP, but Labour majority due to seat merger) |
| 24 | INVERNESS EAST, NAIRN & LOCHABER | Lib. Dem. majority 736 | Sir Russell Johnson MP, retiring |
| 25 | NORTH DEVON | Lib. Dem. majority 793 | Nicholas Harvey MP |
| 26 | BATLEY & SPEN | Conservative majority 845 | Elizabeth Peacock MP |
| 27 | DOVER | Conservative majority 860 | David Shaw MP |
| 28 | NORTH WEST LEICESTERHIRE | Conservative majority 866 | David Ashby MP Deselected |
| 29 | SWINDON NORTH | Labour majority 882 | New Seat. No MP as yet |
| 30 | HAZEL GROVE | Conservative majority 929 | Sir Thomas Arnold MP |
| No | Name | Section 28 | Age of Consent | Military ban |
| 1 | Walter Sweeney (Vale of Glamorgan) | DV | 21 | F |
| 2 | John Watts (Slough) | F | 21 | F |
| 3 | Terry Dicks (Hayes & Harlington) | DV | 21 | DV |
| 4 | Janet Anderson (Rossendale & Darwen) | DV | 16 | A |
| 5 | No Sitting MP (Halesowen & Rowley Regis New Seat) | -- | -- | -- |
| 6 | Elizabeth Lynne (Rochdale) | DV | 16 | DV |
| 7 | Jonathan Evans (Brecon & Radnorshire) | DV | 21 | F |
| 8 | Malcolm Wicks (Croydon North) | DV | 16 | DV |
| 9 | Estelle Morris (Birmingham Yardley) | DV | 16 | A |
| 10 | Michael Forsyth (Stirling) | F | 18 | DV |
| 11 | David Martin (Portsmouth South) | F | 21 | DV |
| 12 | Jamie Cann (Ipswich) | DV | 18 | DV |
| 13 | William Powell (Corby) | F | 21 | DV |
| 14 | Nicnolas Hawkins (Blackpool South) | DV | 21 | F |
| 15 | Andrew Welsh (Angus) | A | 21 | DV |
| 16 | Alice Mahon (Halifax) | A | 16 | DV |
| 17 | Graham Bright (Luton South) | F | 21 | F |
| 18 | Chris Davies (Oldham E & Saddleworth) | DV | DV | DV |
| 19 | Ann Campbell (Cambridge) | DV | 16 | A |
| 20 | Ian Twinn (Edmonton) | F | 18 | DV |
| 21 | No sitting MP (Preseli & Pembrokeshire New Seat) | -- | -- | -- |
| 22 | David Sumberg (Bury South) | DV | 21 | DV |
| 23 | Paul Marland (Forest of Dean) | F | 18 | DV |
| 24 | Russell Johnson (Inverness Nairn & Lochaber) | DV | 16 | DV |
| 25 | Nicholas Harvey (North Devon) | DV | 16 | A |
| 26 | Elizabeth Peacock (Batley & Spen) | F | 21 | DV |
| 27 | David Shaw (Dover) | F | 21 | DV |
| 28 | David Ashby (NW Leicester) | F | 16 | DV |
| 29 | No sitting MP (Swindon North New Seat) | -- | -- | -- |
| 30 | Thomas Arnold (Hazel Grove) | F | 18 | DV |
All the homophobic tory MP's targeted by OutRage! were defeated in the General Election on 1-May-1997.
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