A prominent London Conservative was removed by security during Suella Braverman’s speech at the party’s conference on Tuesday, after calling it “trash”.
Andrew Boff, chair of the London Assembly, was filmed heckling the home secretary when she described “gender ideology” as a “poison” in modern Britain.
Mr Boff, who has put himself forward to be the party’s London mayoral candidate six times, could be heard saying: “There’s no such thing as gender ideology”.
Ms Braverman was claiming in her speech in Manchester that “highly controversial ideas are [being] presented to the workforce, and to the public, as if they’re motherhood and apple pie”. Among these ideas, she included “gender ideology, white privilege and anti-British history”.
After Mr Boff objected, he was immediately tapped on the arm by a member of security, to whom he said: “No, this is trash.”
Following an apparent request to be quiet during the speech, he could be heard saying that they would have to “make” him leave.
As he was taken outside, including by a member of Greater Manchester Police, he said: “It’s tripe. It’s just a homophobic rant.”
Mr Boff, who was the first person in London to enter a same-sex civil partnership in 2005, told Sky News outside the conference hall that he has been “a loyal Tory for 50 years”.
Asked about his comments, he said: “This trash about gender ideology is making our Conservative party look transphobic and homophobic. This is not what the Conservative party is about.”
He won praise on X, previously known as Twitter, from current and former colleagues on the Assembly, including Green group leader Caroline Russell, who said he is “always a trans ally and rock solid on LGBT rights”.
