London is 'more homophobic' than the North

13 per cent of Londoners said they would not support their child if he or she were gay

London’s reputation as the home of Britain’s metropolitan liberal elite suffered a blow yesterday after research revealed that people living in the capital were least likely to accept a gay child.

A YouGov poll found that 13 per cent of Londoners said they would not support their child if he or she were gay – far more than in the most accepting part of Britain, the North of England, where only 1 per cent would refuse to back a gay son or daughter.

The Scots were almost as tolerant as people in northern England, with just 2 per cent refusing to support a gay child, according to the poll of 1,683 adults.

Benjamin Cohen, the chief executive of the PinkNews website, which commissioned the poll, said: “This polling is eye-opening as it goes against the widely accepted notion that London is the most tolerant part of the country when it comes to LGBT issues.

“Beyond the liberal, metropolitan elite, there are clearly many people in the capital who would react negatively to their child being gay or transgender. This shows the need for greater support structures, education and awareness.”