He admitted the party had suffered a 'pretty dreadful trauma' at the election

More gay characters are needed on children’s television to send out the message same sex relationships are of ‘equal value’ to any other, Lib Dem leadership contender Norman Lamb has said.

Mr Lamb, who is standing against Tim Farron for the party leadership, said having a gay Peppa Pig should ‘absolutely not be out of the question’.

The former care minister said the lack of same-sex relationships on children’s TV suggests there is a ‘limit’ to gay rights.

Norman Lamb, who is standing against Tim Farron for the Lib Dem leadership, said having a gay Peppa Pig should ‘absolutely not be out of the question

In an interview with the gay newspaper PinkNews Mr Lamb said TV companies needed to think about promoting gay characters.

He said gay rights laws would be ‘meaningless’ if society does not ‘follow through in the way we behave in our institutions and in our media’.

Mr Lamb said: ‘We have to be true to the legislation we've passed. The legislation very clearly says that a loving relationship between two people of the same sex is of equal value, so in everything that we then do, as a society, we need to reinforce that, not deny it.’

Asked if that meant there should be gay characters on the show Peppa Pig, Mr Lamb said: ‘It should absolutely not be out of bounds, which it appears to be at the moment.’

He added if gay characters were banned from children’s TV ‘it tells that teenager, who is struggling to come to terms with her sexuality, that there is something not quite normal about how they feel’.

Mr Lamb said this puts ‘unfair strain on that individual which we should not be prepared to tolerate’.

In an interview with the gay newspaper Pink News Mr Lamb said TV companies needed to think about promoting gay characters

The former care minister is facing an uphill battle to succeed Nick Clegg as the Lib Dem leader, with Mr Farron the runaway favourite to land the job following last month’s disastrous election defeat.

The party suffered the worst result in its history – finishing with just eight MPs and being wiped out in its former West Country heartland.

Mr Lamb said the party had obviously suffered ‘a pretty dreadful trauma’.

He said he would help the party connect with liberal voters ‘and make them feel that we're a party that represents their values’ again.

Mr Lamb said: ‘During the election campaign we were all told we've got to repeat the mantra, we'll cut less than the Conservatives and borrow less than Labour, which means we're defined in relation to other people. It says nothing about what we are ourselves, what motivates us.