Nigel Farage under fire for claiming “the most stable relationships tend to be between men and women"

Twice-married Nigel Farage has reignited controversy over his stance on LGBTQ+ rights after welcoming Danny Kruger, a Conservative MP known for his anti-LGBTQ+ views, into Reform UK. The press conference announcing Kruger’s defection was overshadowed by Farage’s claim that “the most stable relationships tend to be between men and women,” a statement widely condemned as a thinly veiled attack on same-sex families.

Danny Kruger, who has consistently voted against LGBTQ+ rights, defects to Reform UK

Danny Kruger, MP for Devizes, has defected from the Conservative Party to join Reform UK. Kruger, known for his socially conservative views, announced his move in a statement citing dissatisfaction with the Conservative Party’s “abandonment of traditional values” and its “failure to uphold national sovereignty and cultural integrity.” His

Scene MagazineGraham Robson

Farage’s remarks, made while praising Kruger’s “Christian values,” were met with immediate backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and progressive MPs. Labour’s Nadia Whittome called the comments “vile homophobia,” accusing Farage of attempting to roll back hard-won rights for LGBTQ+ people, including marriage equality and adoption.

Zack Polanski, new leader of the Green Party, added: "Thinly disguised homophobia by Farage.

"Same far-right figures who have spent years coming for my trans friends and colleagues are emboldened again against anything different from their 'normal'."

Kruger’s record on LGBTQ+ issues has long been troubling. At the 2023 National Conservatism Conference, he declared that heterosexual marriage was “the only basis for a safe and successful society,” and has previously suggested that some asylum seekers were “pretending to be gay” to avoid deportation. He has also defended the use of the term “cultural Marxism,” a phrase often associated with far-right conspiracy theories targeting progressive movements.

His defection to Reform UK marks a significant shift in the party’s direction, aligning it more closely with socially conservative and exclusionary ideologies. Kruger claimed the Conservative Party had “failed to offer a credible alternative to the left,” and described his move as “personally painful but politically necessary.”

Farage announced that Kruger will lead a new unit within Reform UK focused on preparing the party for government, a move that expands Reform’s parliamentary presence to five MPs. LGBTQ+ rights groups have expressed concern that this signals a growing platform for regressive policies and rhetoric.

Kruger, son of TV presenter Prue Leith, has also opposed assisted dying and consistently advocated for traditional family structures.