The UK now has more LGB MPs than any other country
By Ben Kelly
A study has claimed that the UK now has more LGB MPs than any other country, following the General Election on Thursday. The research was carried out by Professor Andrew Reynolds, from the LGBT Representation and Rights Research Initiative at the University of North Carolina.
In a report, Reynolds calculates 27 LGBT candidates were elected to the UK House of Commons on 7 May, out of around 152 candidates. He describes this as the most “ever recorded in the world”.
The new parliament now boasts 13 Labour MPs, 12 Conservatives and 2 SNP members from the LGB communities, all of whom are listed below:
Conservative: Nick Herbert, Ben Howlett, Conor Burns, Mike Freer, Nick Boles, Iain Stewart, Stuart Andrew, Crispin Blunt, Nigel Evans, Alan Duncan, Daniel Kawczynski, Margot James
Labour: Gordon Marsden, Stephen Doughty, Steve Reed, Ben Bradshaw, Peter Kyle, Wes Streeting, Cat Smith, Stephen Twigg, Gerald Jones, Nick Brown, Chris Bryant, Clive Betts, Angela Eagle
SNP: John Nicolson, Stewart McDonald
None of the few trans candidates standing won their seats, something which Stonewall has expressed disappointment with on their Twitter page.
However, the election has been good news for diversity in general. The number of women in the House of Commons has now never been higher, rising by a third to make up 29% of the new parliament, and Black and Ethnic Minority MPs have almost doubled, taking up 6% of the new parliament.
The May issue of Attitude featured interviews with many LGBT candidates who have now won their seats, including Nigel Evans and Margot James of the Conservatives, Angela Eagle and Peter Kyle of Labour, and Stewart McDonald of the SNP. You can buy this issue in print, or download it online.