PinkNews.co.uk is today publishing what it claims are the fifty most influential openly LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) people in British politics. Yours truly is somehow judged important enough to claim position 28. Mind you, to be two places below Chris Bryant is a bit humiliating!
Gordon Brown's Director of Political Strategy, Spencer Livermore tops a list that contains 17 Labour party members, 11 Conservatives, seven Liberal Democrats, three greens and one Plaid Cymru. The list contains five senior civil servants and special advisers. The list that was complied by the publication's editorial team in conjunction with a number of senior non-gay journalists deliberately leaves out a number of gay MPs who "think everyone around them is blind, stupid and unaware they are being groped" as well as a major party donor. The list only contains people who are openly LGB.
Tony Grew, editor of PinkNews.co.uk said: "while other publications have focused on gays in the entertainment industry, these are the fifty LGB people who have real influence in our political life. They are our elected representatives, the decision makers and those who wield influence on them." Here is the list...
1 Spencer Livermore, 32, Director of Political Strategy, 10 Downing Street
2 Nick Brown, 57, Deputy Chief Whip, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
3 Peter Mandelson, 54, EU Trade Commissioner
4 Angela Eagle, 46, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, MP for Wallasey
5 Ben Bradshaw, 47, Minister of State for Health Services, Labour MP for Exeter
6 Andrew Pierce, 46, Assistant Editor, Daily Telegraph
7 Ben Summerskill, 46, Chief Executive of Stonewall
8 Nick Herbert, 44, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, MP for Arundel and South Downs
9 Michael Cashman, 56, Labour MEP for the West Midlands
10 Stephen Williams, 41, Liberal Democrats spokesman for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, MP for Bristol West
11 Matthew Parris, 58, journalist and broadcaster
12 Paul Jenkins, Treasury Solicitor
13 Gregory Barker, 43, Shadow Environment Secretary MP for Battle and Bexhill
14 Howell James CBE, Permanent Secretary, Government Communications
15 Alan Duncan, 50, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform MP for Rutland and Melton
16 Adam Price, 39, Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
17 Margot James, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Stourbridge
18 Simon Hughes, 56, President of the Liberal Democrats MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey
19 Waheed Alli, Baron Alli, 43, Labour Peer 20 Julian Glover, journalist and author
21 Brian Paddick, 49, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London
22 Nick Boles, 42, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Grantham and Stamford
23 Peter Tatchell, 55, Green party parliamentary prospective candidate for Oxford East, Chief campaigner, OutRage!
24 Patrick Harvie, 34, Green MSP for Glasgow Region
25 Dan Ritterband, 32, director of Boris Johnson's campaign for Mayor of London
26 Chris Bryant, 45, Labour MP for Rhonnda
27 Ray Collins, assistant general secretary, Unite
28 Iain Dale, 45, blogger
29 Michael Portillo, 54, political commentator 30 Lord Chris Smith, 56, Labour Peer
31 Iain Smith, 47, Liberal Democrats MSP for North East Fife
32 Margaret Smith, 46, Liberal Democrats MSP for Edinburgh West
33 Alan Wardle, public affairs director, Local Government Association
34 David Borrow, 55, Labour MP for South Ribble
35 Clive Betts, 57, Labour MP for Sheffield Attercliffe
36 Stephen Purcell, 34, Labour leader of Glasgow City Council
37 Steve Reed, Labour leader of Lambeth Council
38 Brian Coleman, 46, Conservative member of the London Assembly
39 Darren Johnson, 43, Green member of the London Assembly
40 Sir Simon Milton, 45, Conservative leader of Westminster City Council
41 Richard Barnes, Conservative member of the London Assembly
42 Rodney Berman, 38, Liberal Democrats Leader of Cardiff Council
43 Jenny Bailey, 45, Liberal Democrats mayor of Cambridge
44 Philip Hensher, 42, journalist
45 Angela Mason OBE, 63, adviser
46 Johann Hari, 28, journalist
47 Seb Dance, 26, special adviser to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
48 Mark Meredith, 42, Labour Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent
49 Mike Wolfe, 56, former independent Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent
50 Pav Akhtar, Labour party councillor, Lambeth
I'm usually rather sceptical about this sort of list, as I can nver imagine anyone doing a Top 50 Straight People in Politics. Mind you, nowadays you'd be hardpressed to get to fifty! Just my little joke. But if yoiu treat it as just a bit of fun, why not? At least it gives us something to talk about just after Boxing Day. I do, however, question the inclusion of Michael Portillo in this list. He's not gay and he's not said he is bi-sexual. Full Details and biogs of the 50 can be found HERE at Pink News.
26 comments:
What you mean Peter Mandelson's gay??!!
to be two places below Chris Bryant is a bit humiliating
Not content with those sandwiched in between, Iain?
A man should not build his life on the foundation of his lowest and most self-destructive urges.
Why are there no AMs or MLAs on the list? Is it because there are no LGB AMs and MLAs, or is it because AMs and MLAs have no influence?
I think we should be told!
Can't believe that Matthew Parris, or indeed Michael Cashman, is somehow more influential that Alan Duncan.
And really, how much influence does a 26 year old spad in the Northern Ireland office wield?
Going on the size of that list, I think it would be difficult to name 50 "straight people" in politics!
Judging by that list it can't be long before we get All Straight Shortlists to redress the balance!
Portillo will be pleased...
I think they need to look up the definition of "influence" and rejig the list.
What on earth is Barker doing at No. 13? He's a useless MP. Even before he decided he was gay he was good for nothing except photo opportunities.
Having recently been the object of primitive bile courtesy of , septuagenarian thug, and Queen mum look –alike - Bob (the animal ) Piper , for my supposedly un PC attitudes, I hardly dare comment but ......
What political views does the pink mafia share , if any ? In this country, the Gay constituency is will soon cease entirely to be a “Victim” group and will be dropped of the left`s, ‘pity list’, just as the white working classes were. I see that there is also disenchantment amongst black people, penned into a “Community “ when they would prefer to enter the main stream of cultural life in order to work and integrate as most do.
Recess Monkey recently claimed that the Labour Party was actually defined by the fight for rights for these groups and I wonder when they see they are neither wanted or useful, what they are claim to be for . Mathew Parris brilliantly shone his torch into the void of coherent belief on the left consisting of a nebulous assertion that they are “Nice”.
What an end for a movement that was once a moral force and an intellectual Catherine wheel. “ We are ...nice “...sad really .
The dust heap of history awaits them and the new Liberal small state concenusus is destined to dispense with this fag end and cast our ship off into the new Millenium .
What a hopeful and bright new year it will be
As long as its not children or animals -what the hell difference does it make what one does sexually in one's private life?
I do not expect anyone to ask my sexual preferences and I do not wish to know anyone else's. Doesn't make any difference to their political expertise or any other!
I couldn't find old snot face?
Why are Portillo and Chris Smith coupled together? Is there something we should know?
More seriously how refreshing that public figures these days do feel that they can be open about their sexual orientation.
Following newmania and ordinary housewife, the Gay community/mafia should be gracious in victory and shut up, else the backlash will be that much more vicious. There are many groups that are much more severely disadvantaged and less well represented.
The Pink Times list claimed to be GBLT. Iain rightly omits the T since there were no mentions. Do not underestimate me!
What in the name of God is LD Iain Smith doing on that list!?!?! What has he done in politics (except be partially responsible for the current LD tactics 'car-crash' in the Scots Parly)...I can't really think of anything of note except either:1) when a newspaper mistakenly printed he and fellow MSP Patrick Harvie (Green) were 'having it off'; 2) It could be the rumour -going around for ages up here -that an MSP and a colleague were caught on security camera doing something they shouldn't.
Looks like I'm the only politician in the village!
What about our Prime.......
Oh damn, I just re-read the post - I missed the "openly" bit.
Sorry about that. Must keep that appointment with the optician in the New Year!
sir simon, a little more influential i hope....
I'd be amused that the LibDems' DBERR spokesman is higher than the Tories' except Stephen Williams is our Innovations, Universities etc Shadow, not Business.
fifi-monique needs to re-read the list. There was a "trans" mentioned, Jenny Bailey, as Mayor for Cambridge.
(I'm not sure it's particularly helpful to lump so many different groups together. As a gay man I've nothing in common with a bloke who wants mutilating cosmetic surgery to look womanly, for example.)
There's no such person as "Lord Chris Smith". Presumably they mean Lord Smith of Finsbury.
Ordinary housewife posted,"As long as its not children or animals -what the hell difference does it make what one does sexually in one's private life?"
the operative word here is "Private".
Why do queers feel the need to shout their perversion from the rooftops?
I would prefer they all retired back to their closets!
There are two types of list published nowadays. The first comprises lists, often in the form of league tables, that are based on data and derive from a consistently applied formula. So that their utility can be assessed, they publish the basis on which they are compiled, in the same way that opinion polls publish details of the dates conducted, sample size and methodology employed.
The second comprises lists that derive from no obvious formula but rather are the product of the subjective assessment of a particular individual or group. These have no value other than as entertainment and/or reflecting the particular bias or assessments of the compiler. They are essentially lazy ways of filling space.
This list, rather like those produced by Iain, falls very much in the latter category. There is nothing in the article about the methodology employed and hence no basis on which was can assess why one individual is listed at, say, number 10 and someone else is listed at number 15. It is simply a piece of fun, filling space in place of anything serious, and a way of avoiding doing anything too intellectually demanding.
Could we not have a moratorium on such lists? Alternatively, could we have a list of the most useless lists that have appeared in print?
It should, of course, be based on a clear and transparent formula.
For the benefit of 'old and angry' (and dim), homosexuality is not a perversion. It is a natural state in that it is natural to those who are homosexual and it is a condition known in nature.
Gays don't shout about their sexuality from the rooftops - it only appears that way to people who are insecure and prone to get things out of proportion.
I find it astonishing that Paul Jenkins is so high on the list. He's got one of the most interesting and important legal jobs in the country, but politically influential? Come off it. To put him higher than Alan Duncan and Angela Mason, to mention just two, is a bit silly.
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