Editing Roger Helmer (section)

==Views==
===Rape stance===
In May 2011, Helmer supported [[Ken Clarke]]'s comments on reduced prison sentences for rape by comparing stranger rape and date rape.<ref name=john>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13532908|title=Tory MEP causes rape row over 'share of responsibility'|date=25 May 2011|access-date=25 May 2011|work=BBC News}}</ref> He said: "Let me make another point which will certainly get me vilified, but which I think is important to make: while in the first case, the blame is squarely on the perpetrator and does not attach to the victim, in the second case the victim surely shares a part of the responsibility, if only for establishing reasonable expectations in her boyfriend's mind."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/ken-on-rape-badly-phrased-but-basically-right/|title=Ken on rape: badly phrased, but basically right|last=rogeroffice|date=22 May 2011}}</ref> His comments were criticised by East Midlands politicians [[Bill Newton-Dunn]] and [[Nigel Mills (politician)|Nigel Mills]] though Helmer refused to change what he had said.<ref name=john/>

===Views on sexuality===
On 19 July 2009, on his blog, Helmer defended the Polish [[Law and Justice]] MEP, and chairman of the ECR, [[Michał Kamiński]] from accusations of [[homophobia]]. He went on to write that homophobia does not exist and that the word: "is merely a propaganda device" designed to "denigrate and stigmatise those holding conventional opinions."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/poles-take-some-stick/|title=Poles take some stick|last=Helmer|first=Roger|date=19 July 2009|access-date=11 August 2009}}</ref>

On 11 August 2009, Helmer defended himself against criticism of comments he had made, saying he was not claiming "that there is no discrimination, and that homosexuals do not suffer violence and prejudice from people because sadly, we all know that is not the case." but rather, he states, that the word homophobia has "no meaning" because he has "never met anyone with an irrational fear of homosexuals" and claims that the term is a propagandist one created by the "militant gay rights lobby."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Tory-MEP-defends-his-homophobia.5540798.jp|title=Tory MEP defends his homophobia comment|date=11 August 2009|work=Northampton Chronicle and Echo |access-date=11 August 2009}}</ref>

In March 2012, Helmer spoke out in support of Cardinal [[Keith O'Brien]], the leader of the [[Roman Catholic Church in Scotland]], who had [[Keith O'Brien#Homosexuality|earlier condemned]] the government's plans to introduce [[same-sex marriage]] as a "grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right." Although he had formerly been critical of the Roman Catholic Church, labelling it "systematically [[paedophile]]", Helmer praised O'Brien's statement, opining that "Christian moral principles are not a bad basis for a free and fair society". He furthermore commented that "once you start to tamper with the institution of marriage, you get into some very murky water indeed", and that such a move could set a precedent that would lead to the legalisation of [[communal marriage]] and [[incest]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/03/06/new-ukip-mep-will-gay-marriage-not-lead-to-incest/ |title=New UKIP MEP: Will gay marriage lead to incest? |date=6 March 2012 |newspaper=Pink News }}</ref>

Following accusations of homophobia, UKIP leader Nigel Farage confirmed that Helmer had relaxed his views on homosexuality in recent years, describing him as "somebody of 70 years of age who grew up with a strong Christian Bible background. He grew up in an age when homosexuality was actually imprisonable, and he had a certain set of views which he maintained for many years which he now says he accepts the world's moved on and he's relaxed about."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/11/nigel-farage-defends-ukip-candidate-roger-helmer-previous-anti-gay-remarks|title=Nigel Farage defends Ukip byelection candidate over anti-gay remarks|work=The Guardian|date=11 May 2014}}</ref>

Ahead of the [[2014 Newark by-election]], Helmer gave an interview to ''[[The Mail on Sunday]]'', in which he said the NHS should fund the discredited [[gay conversion therapy]], comparing it to sex-changes and [[homeopathy]].<ref name="Pinknews20140601">{{cite web |url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/06/01/ukip-mep-roger-helmer-nhs-should-fund-gay-cure-therapy/ |title=UKIP MEP Roger Helmer: NHS should fund 'gay cure' therapy · PinkNews.co.uk |newspaper=Pinknews.co.uk |date=June 2014 |access-date=12 October 2014}}</ref><ref name="Huffingtonpo20140601">{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/01/ukip-mep-roger-helmer-nhs-gay-cure_n_5427003.html |title=UKIP MEP Roger Helmer Says NHS Should Fund 'Gay Cure Therapy' |newspaper=HuffPost |access-date=12 October 2014}}</ref> He later told ''[[The Independent]]'' that his views had been misrepresented by the paper's editor.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ukip-mep-responds-to-gay-cures-on-the-nhs-reported-comments-9469790.html|title=Ukip MEP responds to 'gay cures on the NHS' reported comments|author=Antonia Molloy|work=The Independent|date=2 June 2014|access-date=2 June 2014}}</ref>

====Use of massage parlour====
In October 2014, Helmer was photographed visiting a "sleazy massage parlour" in [[Lutterworth]]. He told ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' "MEPs are entitled to a private life. I work extremely hard and when I do occasionally have time off I enjoy a massage."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/MEP-Roger-Helmer-insists-private-life-s-business/story-23103674-detail/story.html|title=MEP Roger Helmer insists that his private life is no one's business after he was seen entering a massage parlour in Lutterworth|author=PA_Warzynski|publisher=gleicestermercury.co.uk|date=11 December 2010|location=Leicester|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013002043/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/MEP-Roger-Helmer-insists-private-life-s-business/story-23103674-detail/story.html|archive-date=13 October 2014}}</ref> The following day he confirmed the story, telling the ''[[Derby Telegraph]]'' that "I think ''The Sun'' quoted me quite well and I don't have anything to add to that".<ref name="DerbyTelegraph_20141013">{{cite web |url=http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Ukip-MEP-Roger-Helmer-visits-sleazy-massage/story-23117245-detail/story.html |title=Ukip MEP Roger Helmer 'visits sleazy massage parlour' |newspaper=The Derby Telegraph |date=12 October 2014 |access-date=13 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014191621/http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Ukip-MEP-Roger-Helmer-visits-sleazy-massage/story-23117245-detail/story.html |archive-date=14 October 2014  }}</ref>

===Expenses===
Helmer was criticised in an article in the ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' on 10 February 2010 regarding MEPs' pensions. The article by Bruno Waterfield criticised an attempt by Helmer and other Conservative MEPs to water down attempts to overhaul their expenses arrangements. Helmer replied, in a letter to the ''Daily Telegraph'' printed on 13 February 2010, that accusations relating to protecting his pension rights, protecting his anonymity and seeking further public funding for pension contributions were false.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/daily-telegraphs-blatant-falsehoods/|title= Daily Telegraph's blatant falsehoods|author=Roger Helmer|date=14 February 2010}}</ref>

Following these accusations, Helmer made his MEP allowances available to view online.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukipmeps.org/uploads/file/Helmer%20July%20to%20Dec%202013.pdf|title= Roger Helmer Allowances|author=UKIPMEPs|date=31 December 2013}}</ref> According to a June 2014 ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' article, all three main UK parties expect their MEPs to provide an independent audit to verify expenses though this is not an EU requirement.<ref name=pat>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/25/nigel-farage-ukip-changes-tune-audit-mep-allowance-spending|title=Nigel Farage changes position on audit of his MEP allowance spending|work=The Guardian|author=Patrick Wintour and Decca Aitkenhead|date=25 April 2014 |access-date=1 June 2014}}</ref>

===The NHS===
In August 2009, whilst a Conservative MEP, Helmer supported his fellow MEP [[Daniel Hannan]]'s criticism of the NHS -described as a "60-year mistake". Speaking to [[BBC Radio 4]]'s PM programme, Helmer stated that: "I think Dan has done us a service by raising these issues which need to be looked at. If 80% of Americans are getting better health care than we are in the UK then we ought to ask why, and we ought to ask how are we going to deliver equally good results." The attacks by Helmer and Hannan led Conservative leader David Cameron to release a statement to the BBC saying: "The Conservative Party stands four square behind the NHS".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8200817.stm|title=NHS attack by MEP 'unpatriotic' |date=14 August 2009 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

===The environment===
In April 2004, whilst a Conservative MEP, Helmer was criticised by [[Friends of the Earth]] for his voting record on [[environmental issues]], voting in what they claimed was an [[environmentally friendly]] manner in only one out of ten possible "eco-friendly" votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/uk_meps_worst_in_europe_08042004.html|title=UK MEPs worst in Europe|date=8 April 2004|publisher=Friends of the Earth|access-date=10 August 2009}}</ref>

In a letter to the ''[[Leicester Mercury]]'' on 16 November 2009, Helmer accused the [[Church of England]] of having "abandoned religious faith entirely and taken up the religion of climate alarmism instead."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/nov/20/climate-denier-roger-helmer-church|title=Climate change denial MEP attacks church|last=Stratton|first=Allegra|date=20 November 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=20 November 2009|location=London}}</ref> This was in response to a recent inter-faith event in Leicester concerning the challenge of climate change. In response, the [[Bishop of Leicester]], [[Tim Stevens]], said Helmer had not aired these views when he debated climate change in Leicester cathedral and asked whether "this was merely courtesy, or was it because the opportunity for a platform meant more to him than exposing his views to scrutiny or challenge from a live audience."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Faith-planet/article-1527901-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913215423/http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Faith-planet/article-1527901-detail/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2012|title=Faith and the planet|date=19 November 2009}}</ref>

In December 2010, still as a Conservative MEP, Helmer attended the [[2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference]] and spent EU funds on a billboard campaign in his constituency criticising climate change policy. Journalist [[Leo Hickman]], blogging for ''The Guardian'' newspaper, questioned who was funding his attendance at the conference after it was confirmed that he was not there in an official capacity representing the EU or the Conservative Party – who both confirmed that they did not share Helmer's beliefs on the subject of climate change.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2010/dec/08/conservative-mep-climate-sceptic-posters/|title= Conservative MEP spends £9,000 on climate sceptic poster campaign |author= Leo Hickman |work= The Guardian|date=8 December 2010|location=London}}</ref>
Within his local region, Helmer was criticised by academics from the [[University of Derby]] and the [[University of Northampton]] for being "out of step with the overwhelming scientific evidence on the subject of human induced climate change."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Climate-change-sceptic-MEP-wrong-threat-planet-says-city-expert/article-2989240-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505091501/http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Climate-change-sceptic-MEP-wrong-threat-planet-says-city-expert/article-2989240-detail/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 May 2013|title=Climate-change sceptic MEP wrong on threat to planet, says city expert|date=9 December 2010|work=thisisderbyshire.co.uk}}</ref> Helmer welcomed the discovery by the [[British Geological Survey]] of rich deposits of [[shale gas]] under Melton and the [[Vale of Belvoir]] pointing to successful extraction in the US despite "horror stories circulated by green lobbyists."<ref name=shale>{{cite news|url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Rich-gas-deposits-survey-Leicestershire/story-15644231-detail/story.html|title=Rich gas deposits found in survey of Leicestershire countryside|work=Leicester Mercury|date=28 March 2012|access-date=28 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729014638/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Rich-gas-deposits-survey-Leicestershire/story-15644231-detail/story.html|archive-date=29 July 2014}}</ref>

===Hunting===
In 2009, Helmer said he would support the repeal of the [[hunting ban]], and said that he used to enjoy [[hare coursing]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2009/12/26/the-boxing-day-meet-2/|title=The Boxing Day Meet|last=rogeroffice|date=26 December 2009}}</ref>