The Waugh Room Westminster News from Paul Waugh

Tuesday 11th September 2012 | 16:37

Bigot or not Bigot. That is the Question

Looked like Nick Clegg was going in hard against enemies of gay marriage tonight. Except within 90 minutes of putting out his aggressive words, the Cabinet Office has had to recall a key section...

Spot the difference (the italics make it clear). 'Bigots' becomes 'some people'...

Obviously the word was viewed as too inflammatory.

But in a Thick of It-style bit of prose-making, Clegg retains the bit where he will say "So I want you to hear it from me straight...."

 

ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE (3pm):

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg will tonight be joined by celebrity campaigners, religious figures, activists, charities and politicians as he hosts a reception to celebrate the Government’s historic consultation on equal marriage.

Guests will served Ben and Jerry’s ‘Appley Ever After’ ice cream, specially renamed by the company in support of equal marriage and will be entertained by Diversity, London’s only gay, bisexual and transgender community chamber choir.

The Government’s consultation on equal marriage was published on 14 June this year. The Government will respond by the end of the year.

The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to say:

“Continued trouble in the economy gives the bigots a stick to beat us with, as they demand we “postpone” the equalities agenda in order to deal with “the things people really care about”. As if pursuing greater equality and fixing the economy simply cannot happen at once.

“So I want you to hear it straight from me tonight: the idea that the two are mutually exclusive is utter rubbish. A nonsense this Coalition Government will never bow to.

“For starters – we had 228,000 responses to our consultation on equal marriage. That’s more than any other we’ve found in the records. The next biggest was high speed rail, at just 50,000. Not everyone in those 228,000 will be pro, that’s for sure. But you certainly can’t dispute the strong feeling on both sides.  

“And, even more importantly, whether equal marriage is being discussed around your kitchen table or not, it matters because it cuts to the heart of who we are.  

“We have spent the summer witnessing Britain at it’s best. The Olympics and Paralympics were wonderful not just because of the Team GB medal haul, but because – after decades of agonising over our national identity – they brought it into focus. We saw the forces of openness and tolerance reclaim the Union Jack. We showcased ourselves not as big and imperial and imposing, a nation constantly harking back to some bygone age. But as a nation that revels in its warmth; that is intelligent; diverse, generous and joyous; a nation able to own the future and lead the world because we have the right spirit, the right values, the right ideas.

“And of all those ideas, none can be more fundamental than the belief that people should be able to love whomever they choose; that we should let one another be, free from discrimination and able to enjoy the full equality that is each of our right.”

 

 

LATER PRESS RELEASE (4.30pm):

 

CORRECTED TEXT

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg will tonight be joined by celebrity campaigners, religious figures, activists, charities and politicians as he hosts a reception to celebrate the Government’s historic consultation on equal marriage.

Guests will served Ben and Jerry’s ‘Appley Ever After’ ice cream, specially renamed by the company in support of equal marriage and will be entertained by Diversity, London’s only gay, bisexual and transgender community chamber choir.

The Government’s consultation on equal marriage was published on 14 June this year. The Government will respond by the end of the year

The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to say (check against delivery):

“Continued trouble in the economy leads some people to demand we “postpone” the equalities agenda in order to deal with “the things people really care about”. As if pursuing greater equality and fixing the economy simply cannot happen at once.

“So I want you to hear it straight from me tonight: the idea that the two are mutually exclusive is utter rubbish. A nonsense this Coalition Government will never bow to.

“For starters – we had 228,000 responses to our consultation on equal marriage. That’s more than any other we’ve found in the records. The next biggest was high speed rail, at just 50,000. Not everyone in those 228,000 will be pro, that’s for sure. But you certainly can’t dispute the strong feeling on both sides.  

“And, even more importantly, whether equal marriage is being discussed around your kitchen table or not, it matters because it cuts to the heart of who we are.  

“We have spent the summer witnessing Britain at it’s best. The Olympics and Paralympics were wonderful not just because of the Team GB medal haul, but because – after decades of agonising over our national identity – they brought it into focus. We saw the forces of openness and tolerance reclaim the Union Jack. We showcased ourselves not as big and imperial and imposing, a nation constantly harking back to some bygone age. But as a nation that revels in its warmth; that is intelligent; diverse, generous and joyous; a nation able to own the future and lead the world because we have the right spirit, the right values, the right ideas.

“And of all those ideas, none can be more fundamental than the belief that people should be able to love whomever they choose; that we should let one another be, free from discrimination and able to enjoy the full equality that is each of our right.”

note: there was no 'check against delivery' or embargo on the original..