The head of the Families Commission in New Zealand has announced she is joining the anti-gay Conservative Party, prompting MPs to denounce her move as a conflict of interest.

Christine Rankin, former head of the Department of Work and Income, announced on Facebook that she has been appointed chief executive of New Zealand's Conservative Party. 'My admiration for the party and its leader has continued to grow over the past year or so,' she said.

GOProud's two co-founders, Jimmy LaSalvia and Chris Barron, plan to step down from their leadership positions in the gay Republican organization.

As reported by the site BuzzFeed, the conservative political group has earned a reputation for controversy in its four year history. This has forced US Republicans to, at the very least, consider embracing LGBT equality.

People protested against the late Margaret Thatcher’s views on gay rights today (17 April).

The former Prime Minister, who died on 8 April following a stroke, is being given a ceremonial funeral with military honors at St Paul’s Cathedral.

Speaking to Gay Star News, several people shared their views about the divisive British political leader along the processional route.

One protester, who said they would prefer to stay anonymous, said they were there because of Thatcher’s government introducing Section 28.

A video of the late Margaret Thatcher delivering an anti-gay speech in 1987 has gone viral after the former British prime minister’s death.

In the speech given at the annual Conservative Party Conference, Thatcher said it was the ‘plight of girls and boys’ that worried her the most in 1980s Britain.

‘Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay,’ Thatcher says to applause.

‘All of those children are being cheated of a sound start in life—yes cheated.’

Former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died at the age of 87 after suffering from a stroke today (8 April).

Her spokesman Lord Bell said: ‘It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning.

‘A further statement will be made later.’

The first and only female prime minister in British history was a divisive figure for LGBT people, who led the government from 1979 to 1990.

The leaders from the three main political parties have praised the majority of MPs in the House of Commons approving same-sex marriage yesterday (5 February).

Passing through to the committee stage, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was won by a landslide 400 ayes to 175 notes.

However it was not a victory for the Conservative party, as the majority of Tories decided to vote against or abstain from the vote.

The UK government announced today (2 January) that it will not introduce tax breaks for married couples.

There had been speculation that British Prime Minister, David Cameron, would bring in tax breaks for married couples in order to appease Tory backbenchers who are opposed to gay marriage.

The gay marriage legislation is expected to be introduced before 2015 will allow couples to transfer part of their personal tax allowance to their partner.

Defence secretary Philip Hammond has slammed the UK government plans for equal marriage, saying religious groups will be at risk.

With the UK government set to publish the marriage equality bill tomorrow (25 January) and a free vote to come later this year, the senior Cabinet Conservative minister has stated his firm opposition to the bill.

In a letter to a student constituent, Hammond challenged the 'robustness' of 'protections for religious organizations' contained within the bill.

A gay millionaire who left the British Conservative party over gay issues now wants to stand as a member of parliament.

Insurance businessman Ivan Massow applied to be the Tory candidate for the Somerset constituency he has 'lived in and loved' all his life.

But on the same day the chairman of Somerton and Frome Constituency Conservative Association resigned after 49 years, citing Prime Minister David Cameron's stance on gay marriage as the reason.

These two events have kicked off a constituency row about equal marriage.

Prime Minister David Cameron should dump marriage equality in order to appeal to ethnic minority voters, a senior Conservative MP has said.

Mark Pritchard, a member of parliament for The Wrekin, Shropshire, has said when he has met people on doorsteps they have never said there should be ethnic minorities on the Conservative bench.

Instead of encouraging more non-white people to join the party, he suggests they government could drop the plans for marriage equality.

Conservative voters have defected to a right-wing and anti-European Union party after the government announced their proposal for gay marriage, polls have shown today (16 December).

The UK Independence Party (UKIP)’s leader, Nigel Farage, has pledged to exploit divisions in the Conservative party over the issue, hoping to woo people who are against marriage equality.

In three polls it showed support for the party has grown putting it in third place ahead of the Liberal Democrats.

British Prime Minister David Cameron told Tory rebels to be 'grown ups' over gay marriage, reassuring members of parliament they will have a free vote on the issue.

The Conservative Party leader told politicians in Westminster yesterday (10 December) that despite same-sex marriage not being a priority at a time when the government is busy trying to reduce the deficit, it was the right time to introduce the controversial legislation.