The referendum funded by
businessman Brian Souter has voted overwhelmingly in
support of the retention of Section 28, the law which bans
the promotion of homosexuality in schools.
Although only one third of those eligible to vote actually
did so, nearly 87 percent of those who responded to the
postal ballot were in favor of retaining the law which the
Scottish Parliament is determined to scrap.
The results of the poll -- said to have cost
multi-millionaire Souter 1 million pounds -- were announced
in Edinburgh today.
"This is a tremendous result for Keep the Clause," said
Souter. "It really demonstrates the determination of people
to defy the government and register a protest vote."
He continued: "A denial of this result would be a denial of
democracy. If this is a listening government, listen to
this."
But Scottish Communities and Local Government Minister
Wendy Alexander was dismissive of the result. "I think what
is significant about today's ballot is that two out of three
voters rejected, or binned, or simply ignored this glorified
opinion poll," she told the BBC.
Tim Hopkins, from the Scrap the Section campaign, said the
result was not unexpected in what had been one of the most
"unbalanced, misinformed ballots in Scottish history." And
Rozanne Foyer, assistant secretary of the Scottish Trades
Union Congress, said the ballot was "nothing more than a
cynical attempt to undermine our democratic processes."
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