LIVERPOOL followed Manchester and Newcastle in pursuit of the "pink pound" yesterday by styling itself as the leading British city for gay weddings.

Plenty of figures who have inspired the poor and oppressed have held anti-gay views

Sir: The post-mortems on the Kensington and Chelsea by-election have overlooked a particularly sinister, authoritarian aspect of the campaign: the demise of free speech and the curtailment of the right to quiz candidates on their policies.

DESPITE HAVING firmly distanced himself from Lord Archer, William Hague faces still more embarrassment next Wednesday when the Islington North Conservative Association holds its Christmas champagne and canapes reception.

MICHAEL PORTILLO made plain his anger with Lord Archer of Weston- super-Mare yesterday, claiming that he had undermined the Tories' bid to win the Kensington and Chelsea by-election on Thursday.

CONTRARY TO your suggestions ("Stay out of poll, Tatchell told", 14 November), I have not been pressured by Labour officials to keep clear of Kensington and Chelsea. Nor has Stephen Twigg MP, or any other gay Labour Party member, asked me not to get involved in the by-election.

MICHAEL PORTILLO has told his campaign team that there will be no lavish celebrations if he wins the Kensington and Chelsea by-election this week.

SEXUAL OFFENCES; NEW CLASH LOOMING WITH UPPER HOUSE

PETER TATCHELL, the gay rights campaigner, was charged yesterday with using threatening words and behaviour after trying to carry out a citizen's arrest on Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.

LABOUR has told the gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell to keep out of the Kensington and Chelsea by-election battle against Michael Portillo.

CHESTERFIELD SAMBA, a gay man in Harare, feels the citizen's arrest on President Mugabe was "a good thing because it got people talking''. Mr Samba, an accountant aged 24, said yesterday that even though homosexuality is not illegal in Zimbabwe - only sodomy is - the prevailing climate is hostile because of President Mugabe's rhetoric.

Portillo's record

Peter Tatchell is an effective campaigner, but his bitter stand against Michael Portillo is outdated and out of order

AS MICHAEL Portillo celebrated his selection for the Kensington and Chelsea seat on Tuesday night, a local Tory member cast a knowing eye over the gay rights protesters gathered outside the meeting.