Editing Patrick Moore (section)

==Activism and political beliefs==
Moore briefly supported the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] in the 1950s, though later condemned the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], saying he believed they could alter their position radically and that they "would happily join up with the [[British National Party|BNP]] or the [[Socialist Workers Party (UK)|Socialist Workers Party]]&nbsp;... if [by doing so] they could win a few extra votes."<ref name="page 168"/> In the 1970s, he was chairman of the anti-immigration [[United Country Party (United Kingdom)|United Country Party]], a position he held until the party was absorbed by the [[New Britain Party]] in 1980. He campaigned for the politician Edmund Iremonger at the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]], as the two men agreed the French and Germans were not to be trusted.<ref name="page 167">{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=167}}</ref> Iremonger and Moore gave up political campaigning after deciding they were [[Thatcherism|Thatcherites]].<ref name="page 167"/> He also admired the [[Official Monster Raving Loony Party]] and was briefly their financial adviser.<ref name="page 169"/> A [[Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom|Eurosceptic]], he was a supporter and patron of the [[UK Independence Party]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukipdorset.org/patron.htm |title=UKIP Dorset Party Patrons Page |access-date=8 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206150349/http://www.ukipdorset.org/patron.htm|archive-date = 6 February 2007}}</ref> and campaigned on behalf of Douglas Denny, the UKIP candidate for the [[Chichester (UK Parliament constituency)|Chichester constituency]] in [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001]].<ref name="page 168">{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=168}}</ref>

Moore was known for his [[social conservativism|conservative]] political views. Proudly [[English national identity|declaring himself to be English]] (rather than British) with "not the slightest wish to integrate with anybody",<ref name="page 169">{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=169}}</ref> he stated his admiration for British politician [[Enoch Powell]].<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=170}}</ref> Moore devoted an entire chapter ("The Weak Arm of the Law") of his autobiography to denouncing modern British society, particularly "motorist-hunting" policemen, sentencing policy, the [[Race Relations Act 1976|Race Relations Act]], [[Sex Discrimination Act 1975|Sex Discrimination Act]] and the "[[Thought Police]]/[[Political correctness|Politically Correct]] [[Brigade (pejorative)|Brigade]]".<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|pp=197–201}}</ref> He wrote that "homosexuals are mainly responsible for the spreading of [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]] (the [[Garden of Eden]] is home of [[Adam and Eve]], not [[Adam and Steve]])".<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=223}}</ref> In 2007, in an interview with ''Radio Times'', he said the BBC was being "ruined by women", commenting that: "The trouble is that the BBC now is run by women and it shows: soap operas, cooking, quizzes, [[kitchen sink realism|kitchen-sink play]]s. You wouldn't have had that in the golden days." In response, a BBC spokeswoman described Moore as being one of TV's best-loved figures and remarked that his "forthright" views were "what we all love about him".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1760061.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203111554/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1760061.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2008|title=The BBC is being ruined by women, says Patrick Moore|author=Adam Sherwin|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=8 May 2007|access-date=15 March 2015}}{{subscription required}}</ref> During his June 2002 appearance on ''[[Room 101 (British TV series)|Room 101]]'' he banished female newsreaders into Room 101.<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=253}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|I may be accused of being a dinosaur, but I would remind you that dinosaurs ruled the Earth for a very long time.|Moore responds to those who criticise his right-wing beliefs<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=173}}</ref>}}

He wrote in his autobiography that [[Liechtenstein]] – a [[constitutional monarchy]] headed by a prince – had the best political system in the world.<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=171}}</ref> Moore was a critic of the [[Iraq War]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.b3ta.com/interview/patrickmoore|title=Interviews: Patrick Moore|access-date=11 August 2007|work=[[b3ta]]}}</ref> and said "the world was a safer place when [[Ronald Reagan]] was in the White House".<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=172}}</ref>

Moore cited his opposition to [[fox hunting]], [[blood sport]] and capital punishment to rebut claims that he had ultra-right-wing views.<ref name="page 169"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Patrick Moore attacks hunting law|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/7936812.stm|access-date=27 December 2011|date=11 March 2009|work=BBC News}}</ref> Though not a vegetarian, he held "a deep contempt for people who go out to kill merely to amuse themselves."<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=86}}</ref> He was an animal lover, supporting many animal welfare charities (particularly [[Cats Protection]]). He had a particular affinity for cats and stated that "a catless house is a soulless house".<ref>{{harvnb|Moore|2003|p=244}}</ref>

Moore was opposed to astronomy being taught in schools. In an interview, he said:
{{Blockquote|You see, anyone who is interested in astronomy will gravitate to it, as I did. If you start teaching it as a school subject, it's going to be taught badly, like everything else these days, and enthusiasm is going to be killed.<ref>"Eagle Star Interview: Patrick Moore" in ''Eagle'', 27 November 1982.</ref>}}