London
Britain’s opposition Conservative Party embraced its first openly gay member of Parliament this week. After Alan Duncan, the party’s foreign-affairs spokesman, outed himself to the London Times, party leader Iain Duncan Smith sent him a letter offering him “personal support” and praising his honesty. Homosexuality has been a divisive issue within the Conservative Party. Duncan Smith only won the party leadership last year, after top contender Michael Portillo was pilloried in the press for having had a gay affair in the past. Several Labour Party members of Parliament are openly gay, but every Tory who has ever been outed has lost his seat.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st centuryFrom Santa Claus to suicide terrorism, these movies skewered big, taboo subjects
-
France’s ‘red hands’ trial highlights alleged Russian disruption operationsUNDER THE RADAR Attacks on religious and cultural institutions around France have authorities worried about Moscow’s effort to sow chaos in one of Europe’s political centers
-
Codeword: October 30, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
