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| Gay comments distorted, says IDS | Gay comments distorted, says IDS |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith has said same-sex couples are "irrelevant" to his work on shaping family policy for David Cameron. | |
| A Tory government should strengthen the unit of two hetrosexual parents raising a child, he told the Sunday Telegraph. | A Tory government should strengthen the unit of two hetrosexual parents raising a child, he told the Sunday Telegraph. |
| Same-sex partnerships do not "register on the Richter scale of how to bring up children", Mr Duncan Smith added. | Same-sex partnerships do not "register on the Richter scale of how to bring up children", Mr Duncan Smith added. |
| Mr Duncan Smith later said a factual response had been "distorted into an alleged slur on gay couples". | Mr Duncan Smith later said a factual response had been "distorted into an alleged slur on gay couples". |
| Mr Cameron sparked a backlash from traditionalists when he used his party conference speech this year to back civil partnerships. | Mr Cameron sparked a backlash from traditionalists when he used his party conference speech this year to back civil partnerships. |
| But Mr Duncan Smith said his interview with the Sunday Telegraph had been taken out of context. | But Mr Duncan Smith said his interview with the Sunday Telegraph had been taken out of context. |
| I was asked about gay couples in the context of the scale and impact of family breakdown Iain Duncan Smith Tories warn on break-ups | I was asked about gay couples in the context of the scale and impact of family breakdown Iain Duncan Smith Tories warn on break-ups |
| His group, which is shaping Tory policy on poverty, publishes its interim report next week. | His group, which is shaping Tory policy on poverty, publishes its interim report next week. |
| It is expected to warn the break-up of co-habiting couples leads to severe social problems. | It is expected to warn the break-up of co-habiting couples leads to severe social problems. |
| And it is set to urge a "radical reappraisal" of marriage policy to prevent potential tensions leading to an increase in violent crime. | And it is set to urge a "radical reappraisal" of marriage policy to prevent potential tensions leading to an increase in violent crime. |
| "I was asked about gay couples in the context of the scale and impact of family breakdown," Mr Duncan Smith said. | "I was asked about gay couples in the context of the scale and impact of family breakdown," Mr Duncan Smith said. |
| "I said that they were not relevant to the report of the social justice policy group because only a tiny number have children." | "I said that they were not relevant to the report of the social justice policy group because only a tiny number have children." |
| A Conservative Party spokesman said it was possible studies would find such family relationships were relatively stable. | A Conservative Party spokesman said it was possible studies would find such family relationships were relatively stable. |