March 2018, Ashworth was one of three UK MEPs who voted against a motion to encourage national parliaments to ban "gay conversion therapies"; he issued a statement on 17 September 2018 that his vote was "a mistake which I deeply regret", and pointing to his other votes that day in support of LGBT causes. Change UK On 16 April 2019, it was announced that he and fellow MEP Julie Girling had joined Change UK. However, Girling later declared support for the Liberal Democrats and stated that she had never actually joined Change UK. Ashworth was the first candidate on the list for Change UK in South East England at the 2019 European Parliament election, at which he failed to be elected. References External links European Parliament webpage 1947 births Living people People educated at The King's School, Canterbury Conservative Party (UK) MEPs MEPs for England 2004–2009 MEPs for England 2009–2014 MEPs for England 2014–2019 Change UK MEPs