Tim Farron 'clarifies' view on gay sex, says it is not a sin

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has "clarified" his views on gay sex, after being labelled a "disgrace" on the subject.

The devout Christian has come under fire in recent days after repeatedly dodging questions about homosexuality, stating he would rather not "pontificate" on the matter.

But in an interview with the BBC on Tuesday (25 April), Farron finally said he does not believe gay sex is a sin.

Justifying his previous swerving of the subject, Farron said: "I'm very careful how I talk about my faith. I don't bang on about it, but I don't make a secret of it, either.

"When I get asked theological questions, which I don't think many other politicians do get asked, I kind of took the view it would be better for me to say, 'Well, look, this is a matter of theological nit-picking, let's talk about the politics.'"

Questions about Farron's views on homosexuality trace back several years, but came into the fold again when Prime Minister Theresa May announced a snap general election on 18 April.

Launching his campaign on the same day, Farron appeared on Channel 4 News where he was asked four times whether he believed homosexuality was a sin and failed to provide a clear response on each occassion.

Later, in an interview with the Observer published on 23 April, Farron said he did not believe that homosexuality was a sin, but again failed to provide a response when pressed on the subject of gay sex.

Appearing on ITV's Peston on Sundayy, Farron again confirmed he did not believe that homosexuality was a sin, but did not answer with regards to gay sex.

Following his previous responses, his answer on 25 April will likely be seen as unconvincing and BBC interviewer Eleanor Garnier described it as "blatant electioneering".