Already having a reputation for bigoted views, Unionist peer Lord Ken Maginnis has lashed out with less than veiled homophobia at openly LGBT+ MP Hannah Bardell for pointing out he abused security staff at the House of Lords.

The incident in question took place when the security staff member asked Maginnis to show his pass. Bardell then witnessed “one of the worst cases of abuse of security staff that I have seen in my time here” as he subjected the man to a tirade of abuse, calling him “crooked” amongst other things. The pass turned out to be in Maginnis’ bag, but he didn’t want to take it out because he had “arthritis”.

When Bardell brought the incident up in the House, Maginnis was not amused. He later told the Huffington Post that it “would probably all have blown over except this Bardell woman decided to get herself a bit of publicity. She and I are known to be on other sides – I am opposed to abortion, I am opposed to gay people like her seeking to change marriage.

“You might say I’m old fashioned, or you could say I’m conservative in Biblical terms – I mean I’m not a preacher or anything. She obviously being what she is and wanting to make changes decided she would score a few points for herself.”

Maginnis continued, “With no disrespect I have had a lot of experience before politics. I was a major for 12 years in the Ulster Defence Regiment in Northern Ireland, I survived 10 assassination attempts, so I’m not altogether a softie if you know what I mean by that.

“Queers like Ms Bardell don’t particularly annoy me…she’s got her cheap publicity out of it.”

Bardell responded to his comments saying, “It is unbelievable that someone who plays a part in the UK legislative process – albeit unelected – has made these comments. These views, and his behaviour, have no place in our society and the British taxpayer should be rightly enraged to be funding Lord Maginnis’ comfy job in the House of Lords.”

Bardell continued, “Lord Maginnis has now not only admitted to this terrible behaviour, but he is now turning to spouting this homophobic bile. While I might not annoy him, homophobic, rude and intolerable men abusing their positions of power annoy me, greatly.”

Maginnis was formerly a member of the Ulster Unionist Party but they separated themselves from him in 2012 after comments he made on gay marriage saying young children would be influenced by gay people and if equal marriage happened “Does that mean that every deviant sexual practice has to be accommodated? Will the next thing be that we legislate for some sort of bestiality?”