Transcript of Cameron interview with Gay Times as reproduced on Channel 4 on 25 March 2010.

David Cameron: You know the party *has* changed. And I think all centre right parties, all conservative parties, have to go on this journey, I think we've probably gone a bit further and faster than some conservative parties in other countries. Um, and there won't be any turning back. So I understand the concern, but I think the change that's happened is real, lasting and irreversible.

Martin Popplewell: Today a law comes in force in Lithuania which has been described as, as their Section 28. It's been condemned by Amnesty International. Last September, there was a, a vote in the European Parliament on a motion criticising Lithuania's 'Section 28'. That motion was approved. It was approved by, uh, MEPs from both the Labour Party and from the Liberal Democrats Party. Uh, none of your MEPs voted for that motion. Why?

David Cameron: Um, I don't know about that, um, particular vote. What I do know, um, is that, ah, we have made very clear our own views about Section 28 in this country. I couldn't have been more clear about that. Uh, and generally, just looking at the the whole issue of European alliances which all this is, is getting to, you know the reason for having alliances, and of leaving the EEP and joining and forming this new party, is not because we, ah, approve of every dot and comma of the social policies of these parties. It's about Europe, this alliance, not about social policy. It's an alliance about parties that want a more flexible, more open Europe uh rather than Europe as a super state. And of course we would never ally, um, with parties who we thought, you know, who, who's views stepped, um, beyond the pale. But, you know, as I said, all these conservatives parties I think are on something of a journey, a journey that we've made further, we've gone further and faster. Um, but they're all on a journey and I think some of them need to travel a bit faster.

Martin Popplewell: If you accept, as you did at the beginning of the interview, that gay equality isbasically a, a fundamental - (interupted, though tries to continue but is unclear)

David Cameron: - No, sorry, actually, you're right, you're right, no I mean I'm not, I'm (unclear) - 

Martin Popplewell: - it shouldn't be a free vote.

David Cameron: The answer about - Sorry, sorry. Um. (pause) No you're right. The two... sorry the two...um...ah (sigh, pause) the two, the two votes are, are very different. Sorry. That's right. What I'm saying is, in terms of, um... ah... in terms of House of Commons votes, um, ah... on, if something is about a, a bedrock equality issue, then yes of course there should be a whip. But on lots of, on lots of concience issues, um, I think it is right to have, um, it is right to have free votes. But certainly the, the Lithuania vote, I mean I don't know even know about this vote so I can't give a good answer about that, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go look at it. I'm not aware of that vote. But if something like that came up in this House of Commons, um, I expect it probably would be whipped.